Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty
Published on: October 6, 2016
Improving dementia health literacy using the FLOW mnemonic: pilot findings from the Old SCHOOL hip-hop program
James M Noble1, Monique G Hedmann2, Olajide Williams2
1Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA Hip Hop Public Health Research Center of Columbia University Medical Center and Harlem Hospital Center, New York, NY, USA Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA jn2054@columbia.edu.
Background:
Dementia health literacy is low among the public and likely poses a significant barrier to Alzheimer's disease (AD) symptom recognition and treatment, particularly among minority populations already facing higher AD burden. We evaluated the pilot phase of a novel AD health education program, Old SCHOOL (Seniors Can Have Optimal Aging and Ongoing Longevity) Hip-Hop (OSHH), which is designed to enable children to be AD health educational conduits in the home ("child-mediated health communication").
Method:
OSHH applied our stroke-validated model of engaging, dynamic, and age- and culturally appropriate curriculum delivered to elementary school-age children (fourth/fifth grades, ages 9-11 years). We assessed AD knowledge among the children at baseline, immediately following the intervention (1-hour program delivered daily over 3 consecutive days), and 3 months later. For key AD symptoms, we developed the FLOW mnemonic (forget, lose, overlook, write/wander); students were additionally taught action plans for recognized symptoms.
Results:
Seventy-five students completed baseline assessments, and 68 completed posttesting. AD symptoms in FLOW were not well known at baseline (individually ranging from 16% to 71% correct) but were highly learned after 3 days (89% to 98% correct) and retained well after 3 months (80% to 95% correct, p ≤ .01 for all comparisons vs. baseline). AD localization, including its effect on memory and the hippocampus, was also highly learned and retained (p < .001). Eighteen students (24%) reported having a close friend/family member with AD.
Conclusions:
This study suggests our hip-hop health education model may be an effective method to improve AD health literacy.
Related Concept Videos
Flow Sheet
Here's a closer look at the examples of flowsheets commonly used by nurses:
Graphic Sheet Documentation:
Dementia l: Introduction
Mnemonic Devices
Acronyms
Acronyms are created by using the initial letters of a series of words to form a new word or phrase. This approach condenses complex information into a single, memorable entity. For example,...
Health Literacy
Dementia
The progression of dementia is generally gradual....
Methods of Documentation IV: Focus Charting
It typically involves three columns for recording information:

