Collaboration between researchers, university students, and healthcare professionals to improve older Vietnamese immigrants' health literacy.

Abstract

The results of the cognitive examination from the Vietnamese Aging and Care Survey (VACS) showed the high prevalence of cognitive impairment among older Vietnamese immigrants in Houston, Texas. We proposed the Community-Engaged Dementia Education Program (CEDEP), evaluated the Vietnamese community's dementia literacy, and developed a linguistically and culturally tailored dementia one-pager. This study was the next step in implementing the one-pager and disseminating the importance of dementia literacy in collaboration between researchers, university students, and Vietnamese healthcare professionals. We trained bilingual Vietnamese pre-health students and offered free cognitive tests in Vietnamese at various health fairs to introduce the notion of cognitive health. Twenty-eight students assessed older Vietnamese cognition (N = 247) using the Vietnamese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. The results showed an average of 22.4, indicating mild cognitive impairment. However, the community overwhelmingly responded positively to the assessment because memory issues were their major concern. The intergenerational exchange - older Vietnamese had their memory checked while the younger generation of students experienced real-world clinical assessments - facilitated their interaction, and benefited both parties. Improving the community's awareness and knowledge takes time and requires long-term commitment. Leveraging the dedication of Vietnamese healthcare professionals, this collaborative work needs to continue.