Mobile-Based Cognitive Training for Older Chinese Americans: Perspectives From Older Adults and Adult Children

The older Chinese American population is growing rapidly in the United States, but they have limited access to culturally responsive dementia prevention services. Cognitive training has benefits for cognitive health, yet these interventions have not been tailored to older Chinese Americans. To inform the codesign of a culturally relevant, mobile-based cognitive training, this study explored perspectives of older Chinese Americans and their adult children on dementia prevention and cognitive training.

We conducted 4 focus groups with older Chinese Americans (n = 21) and 2 focus groups with adult children (n = 9) in Mandarin over Zoom,and applied rapid qualitative analysis using the Health Belief Model.

Five themes emerged. Both older adults and adult children had partial knowledge of dementia and were able to list learning new things and social activities as cognitively stimulating activities. Both groups expressed strong interest in cognitive training, but were also concerned about transportation and language barriers. Both groups viewed promoting cognition as an advantage, and eyestrain and dementia-related stigma as disadvantages of mobile-based cognitive training. Adult children were eager to support their older parents, whereas older adults preferred to participate in training independently. Facilitators to participation included recommendations from healthcare professionals and having a peer support community.

The study provides new information on the perspectives of older Chinese Americans and adult children on cognitive training as an underpinning for codeveloping a culturally relevant, mobile-based cognitive training to promote cognitive health among this population.