Publication Date

1-1-2023

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Ethnicity and Health

Volume

28

Issue

3

DOI

10.1080/13557858.2022.2045907

First Page

431

Last Page

445

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined Alzheimer’s disease (AD) knowledge and its predictors among Korean Americans (KAs). Design: Convenience sampling was used to recruit KAs in the Greater Washington metropolitan area. A total of 268 KAs participated in the study and completed a cross-sectional survey in 2014. Using the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS), overall and domain knowledge was assessed. Multiple regression analyses were conducted for overall and domain knowledge with predictors including exposure to AD, social engagement, sources and frequency of health-related information, stigmatic beliefs (pity, antipathy, and social distance), English proficiency, and education. Results: KAs reported a 59% accuracy in the overall AD knowledge. At the domain level, KAs were most knowledgeable about assessment and diagnosis and least knowledgeable about caregiving. Our regression analyses showed that having a college degree or higher is associated with a greater overall AD knowledge. Three domain models of life impact, risk factors, and caregiving turned out to be significant: Having a college degree or higher is a predictor of greater knowledge in all three domains. Having more pity stigmatic beliefs is related to greater knowledge in both life impact and caregiving domains while having less pity stigmatic beliefs is associated with more risk factor knowledge; having less social distance stigmatic beliefs is associated with greater life impact knowledge; and having less antipathy stigmatic beliefs is related to better caregiving knowledge. Conclusion: Our findings revealed areas of misconceptions and knowledge gaps in KAs which need to be addressed in educational interventions. Different knowledge status across the domains demonstrates a multi-dimensional nature of AD knowledge. Multivariate findings confirmed the robust role of education in overall and domain AD knowledge. The effect of different AD stigmatic beliefs on certain AD knowledge domains suggests ways of how stigma change can be efficient for the purpose of increasing AD domain knowledge in KAs.

Funding Number

R03 HS22947

Funding Sponsor

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Keywords

Alzheimer’s disease, Asian American, dementia, knowledge, Korean American, stigma

Comments

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Ethnicity and Health on 01 March 2022, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2022.2045907

Department

Social Work

Download

Share

COinS