Study: Black Americans’ perceptions of Alzheimer’s disease, a healthy brain and strategies for brain health promotion

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A new study examining older Black Americans’ perceptions of Alzheimer’s disease has found a lack of awareness of the devastating condition. The authors propose strategies for supporting brain health in this population. “Black Americans’ perceptions of Alzheimer’s disease, a healthy brain, and strategies for brain health promotion” is published in the journal PEC Innovation. Absence of awareness of Alzheimer’s disease may undermine Black Americans’ ability to identify the potential risk of the disease and its impact on their community, said Johanne Eliacin, Ph.D., Regenstrief Institute, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Indiana University School of Medicine research scientist and study leader. Dr. Eliacin notes that the research team’s findings may contribute to the development of effective and culturally sensitive strategies to address racial disparities in Alzheimer’s disease. “We asked study participants whether they agree, disagree or are unsure that Black Americans are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to White Americans, and most were unsure. Yet Black Americans are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than White Americans,” said Dr. Eliacin. “And when Black Americans are diagnosed, they often have a greater burden because of the costs of managing the illness, lack...