Assessing Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge and Cognitive Risk Among a Rural Older Afro-Caribbean Cohort

Older, rural Afro-Caribbeans are a growing subset of the Black population who face increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), but research targeting ADRD is scarce in this group. The purpose of this study was to investigate dementia risk among older Afro-Caribbeans living in a rural area. We also examined age, sex, and years of education, and knowledge about Alzheimer's disease as potential predictors of dementia risk.

A pre-post, correlational design was employed.

Cognitive screenings were conducted using Nasreddine's Mini-MoCA, with tests of language fluency/orientation/recall, and linear regression analysis. A basic knowledge of Alzheimer's disease survey (BKAD) was also administered.

A total of 55 Afro-Caribbean participants (67.0 +10.8y (M ± SD), 65.5% with 10y or less of education residing in a rural area within the last 20 years were included.Over 50% of the convenience sample scored in the cognitive risk range. Significant associations were found between Mini-MoCA Total and Language scores and education (p < 0.01). Further, there was a significant change from pretest to posttest in BKAD scores. BKAD pretest and posttest scores were also significantly higher for those without dementia risk based on the Mini-MoCA Total.

While the Mini-MoCA showed good reliability in less-educated older Afro-Caribbeans, scores were strongly dependent on years of education. Offering a limited intervention resulted in increased BKAD scores in this Afro-Caribbean sample, and a low BKAD score was associated with a higher dementia risk category.

This study contributes to the limited but growing body of research about Alzheimer's disease knowledge, cognitive risk, and dementia detection among Afro-Caribbeans. The use of language-neutral cognitive assessments is recommended among rural older immigrants.