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Knowledge of Alzheimer's disease and subjective memory impairment in Latin American seniors in the Greater Toronto Area

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2009

L. Fornazzari ,
C. Fischer ,
T. Hansen  and
L. Ringer
L. Fornazzari*
Affiliation:
Behavioural Neurology, Division of Neurology, Department of Psychiatry, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Department of Psychiatry, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
C. Fischer
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
T. Hansen
Affiliation:
Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
L. Ringer
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
*
Correspondence should addressed to: Dr. Luis Fornazzari, 180 Bloor St West, Suite 1206, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 2V6. Phone: +1 647 435 6516; Fax: +1 647 435 6518. Email: forna@rogers.com.
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Abstract

Background: This study examined knowledge levels of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a sample of Latin American seniors attending AD educational sessions in a Canadian city; and investigated the relationship between knowledge of AD, demographic variables, education level, acculturation level (years living in Canada), subjective memory complaint and objective memory impairment.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-five Spanish-speaking adults living independently in the Greater Toronto Area completed subjective and objective memory measures and completed a questionnaire on their knowledge of AD.

Results: Knowledge of AD was very weakly correlated with level of education and years living in Canada. In addition, there were no correlations between knowledge level and gender or subjective memory complaints.

Conclusions: The results suggest that Latin American seniors, in the Toronto community, are not knowledgeable about AD. In spite of showing subjective cognitive impairment the sample were not aware of the principal cause of their symptoms. Additional research is needed to develop better focused and specifically directed health promotion initiatives for the Latin American seniors living in the Toronto community.

Keywords

dementiaCanadaelderlyHispanicagedOntarioethniceducation
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 21 , Issue 5 , October 2009 , pp. 966 - 969
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2009

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