Abstract
Objective: The purpose was to describe (a) individuals’ reasons for participating in cognitive screening and (b) reasons to pursue testing after screening across 4 ethnic groups: African American, Afro-Caribbean, European American, and Hispanic American. Methods: Prior to memory screening, 119 adults were interviewed regarding their thoughts about memory screening and follow-up testing. Interviews were coded and differences between ethnic groups were compared. Results: More African Americans and European Americans were concerned about their memory. More Hispanic Americans planned to seek professional help if needed. Hispanic Americans were most optimistic about treatment. Conclusions: Future research is needed to better understand cultural factors that influence older adults’ willingness to be screened for cognitive impairment and to pursue follow-up testing when recommended.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, cross-cultural differences, screening, memory
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Contributor Information
Christine L. Williams, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA, cwill154@fau.edu .
Ruth M. Tappen, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Monica Rosselli, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Florence Keane, School of Nursing, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
Kelley Newlin, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
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