Abstract
Clustering Latinos under a single group in Alzheimer Disease (AD) research, neglects, among other things cultural and environmental differences. To address this, we examine knowledge and attitudes about AD among two Latino groups. We held 5 focus groups and 2 interviews all in Spanish with Mexicans and Puerto Ricans between 40 and 60 years old living in the Grand Rapids area in Michigan. Using content analysis of the discussions, we identified themes related to knowledge, attitudes and concerns about AD and caregiving. A total of 20 Mexicans and 9 Puerto Ricans participated. Improving knowledge and awareness, barriers and home-based family care were important themes in both Latino groups. Puerto Rican groups raised more concerns about the disease, whereas lack of knowledge was a key theme among Mexican participants. The exploratory study is a first step in promoting research that is attentive to the commonalities and differences of Latino groups and in continuing efforts to enhance health literacy among these groups.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 265-284 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2021, The Author(s).
Funding
We thank the members of the MCCFAD (P30AG59300) and the members of the Latino community advisory board for their feedback. We thank our participants for their time. We also thank Marissa Cortright for her research assistant support. This study was funded by the Michigan Center for Contextual Factors in Alzheimer's Disease (grant number P30AG059300).
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| MCCFAD | P30AG59300 |
| National Institute on Aging | P30AG059300 |
Keywords
- Alzheimer disease
- Attitudes
- Knowledge
- Latinos
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Geriatrics and Gerontology