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Research Article
What do Korean American immigrants know about Alzheimer's disease (AD)? The impact of acculturation and exposure to the disease on AD knowledge
Article first published online: 23 JUN 2009
DOI: 10.1002/gps.2299
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
1099-1166/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=55acde8f9222d0a98fe4dff78b1dce69edd182d8 "International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry")
Additional Information
How to Cite
Lee, S. E., Lee, H. Y. and Diwan, S. (2010), What do Korean American immigrants know about Alzheimer's disease (AD)? The impact of acculturation and exposure to the disease on AD knowledge. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 25: 66–73. doi: 10.1002/gps.2299
Publication History
- Issue published online: 15 DEC 2009
- Article first published online: 23 JUN 2009
- Manuscript Accepted: 18 MAR 2009
- Manuscript Received: 9 OCT 2008
Funded by
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Quality of Graduate Education Supplemental Allocation Program
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- Alzheimer's disease;
- knowledge;
- Korean Americans;
- acculturation;
- exposure;
- immigrants;
- ethnic minority;
- dementia
Abstract
Objective
The present study examined knowledge of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and factors related to the disease knowledge among Korean American immigrants.
Methods
Two-hundred and nine middle-aged and older Korean American immigrants completed a self-administered questionnaire.
Results
Korean American immigrants had strong stigma about AD and interpreted the disease as a form of insanity. They considered memory loss and AD as a part of the aging process. They seriously lacked knowledge about the treatment, diagnosis and cause of AD. Those who were less acculturated and less exposed to AD were likely to have poorer AD knowledge.
Conclusions
There is a need to expand AD education efforts among Korean American immigrants because the views of stigmatization and normalization of AD combined with certain Asian cultural norms can be barriers to early recognition and intervention. Our study suggests knowledge areas of concentration in AD education and a segment of the population that AD education should target. Further research on symptom knowledge by the disease stages and causal beliefs is needed to better understand the existing views about AD in Korean American immigrants. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.