Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects 7 million Americans, with rapidly increasing incidence.
• Black Americans experience twice the AD incidence rate compared to non-Hispanic Whites.
• Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (ADRD) cause more deaths than breast and prostate cancer combined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between dementia health beliefs and health behaviors in community-dwelling Black American adults.
• To address the gap in research concerning ADRD health beliefs and behaviors within the Black American population.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory, cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was conducted.
• Purposive sampling targeted Black American adults from community events in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia (n=34).
• A 27-question Likert-scale questionnaire assessed dementia health beliefs; data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Main Results:

• 38% of participants acknowledged having risk factors for dementia.
• 29% perceived a strong possibility of developing dementia.
• A significant portion remained neutral regarding dementia risk and development within the next 10 years.

Conclusions:

• This exploratory study is a foundational step in understanding dementia health beliefs and behaviors in the Black American community.
• Findings underscore the necessity for further in-depth research on ADRD within this demographic.