Dementia Knowledge Among Older Asian Americans: Roles of Digital Literacy, Planning Attitudes, and Sociocultural Contexts

Knowledge of dementia facilitates early detection, care planning, and stigma reduction, yet less is known about dementia knowledge among Asian American populations. This study examined correlates of dementia knowledge among 505 Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans aged 50 and older residing in Central Florida. Dementia knowledge was assessed using the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale with four subscales. Linear regression analyses examined associations of dementia knowledge with sociodemographic, immigration, social, digital and information, and dementia experiences and attitudinal factors. Participants demonstrated low overall dementia knowledge. Digital literacy was positively associated with total dementia knowledge and all subscales except communication and behavior. Limited English proficiency was negatively associated with knowledge in the causes and characteristics subscale. The perceived importance of dementia planning was positively associated with total dementia knowledge and three subscales. Subscale-specific findings should be interpreted cautiously because of varying subscale reliability, particularly for communication and behavior.