Abstract: Knowledge about Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Awareness of Related Services in Older Korean Americans (Society for Social Work and Research 23rd Annual Conference - Ending Gender Based, Family and Community Violence)
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413P Knowledge about Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Awareness of Related Services in Older Korean Americans

Schedule:
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Continental Parlors 1-3, Ballroom Level (Hilton San Francisco)
* noted as presenting author
Yuri Jang, PHD, Professor, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
Min-Kyoung Rhee, PhD, Research Associate, University of Texas at Austin
Hyunwoo Yoon, PhD, Assistant Professor, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
Nan Sook Park, PhD, Associate Professor, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
David Chiriboga, PhD, Professor, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Background and Purpose: Responding to the increase of the older Asian American population and the growing imperative to address issues on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in ethnic minority communities, the present study focused on knowledge of AD and awareness of AD-related services. Using older Korean Americans as a target group, the goal was to explore the impact of demographic variables, immigration-related variables, and prior exposure to AD on their AD-related knowledge and service awareness.  

Methods: Data were drawn from 2,176 older Korean Americans (M/SD=73.4/7.97) who were surveyed in five states (CA, NY, TX, HI, and FL) during 2017−2018. Logistic regression models of AD knowledge and service awareness were tested with demographic variables (age, gender, marital status, education, and region), immigration-related variables (length of stay in the U.S. and English proficiency), and prior exposure to AD (if any of participants’ family members or friends had AD).

Results: While over a quarter (26.3%) of the sample reported that they were ‘very much’ knowledgeable about AD, only about 14% were aware of AD-related services in their communities. The greater odds of being knowledgeable about AD and being aware of AD-related services were observed among individuals with a higher education and those with prior exposure to AD. With regards to the AD knowledge, participants in Florida (in comparisons to those in California) and those who were proficient in English demonstrated increased odds.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings identified factors associated with the AD-related knowledge and service awareness and suggest ways to develop targeted AD interventions for older Korean Americans. Intervention efforts in promoting health literacy in AD should be prioritized on those with low education and language barriers. Findings also highlight the critical role of prior exposure to AD in shaping one’s familiarity with and knowledge about the disease. A particular attention is in need for bridging the gap between ethnic minorities and AD-related services.    

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