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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Renee L. Beard, PhD, Institute for Health Research and Policy, M/C 275, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 W Roosevelt Road, Room 387, Chicago, IL 60608, 312-355-0780, rbeard@uic.edu, Susan Hughes, DSW, Center for Research on Health and Aging, University of Illinois Chicago, 1747 W. Roosevelt Rd, Room 558, Chicago, IL 60608, and Thomas Prohaska, PhD, Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 W. Roosevelt Rd., M/C 275, Chicago, IL 60608.

Despite the rapidly increasing numbers of individuals being diagnosed in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease, and preclinically, little research has been done on the health beliefs and behaviors of those diagnosed. In particular, it is important to understand how diagnosed individuals conceptualize and act towards their condition. Based on qualitative focus group data with 48 individuals, the present study sought to explore perceptions about Alzheimer's disease and subsequent health practices, including views on causation, prevention, and treatment options. Data suggest important differences as regards defining memory loss, seeking medical attention, managing everyday life, and envisioning the future. As part of the larger PRC-HAN (Prevention Research Center-Healthy Aging Network) Brain Health Initiative, the data allow for a comparison of health perspectives and practices according to diagnosis as well as social demographics such as race, class, and gender. Consequently, these findings provide the opportunity to elicit information that can help design culturally sensitive interventions to specifically target various groups and geographic areas. This research has implications not only for understanding how individuals with Alzheimer's make sense of their illness and subsequently act, but can also inform the delivery of health care for persons with various types of dementias. Further, this study begins to lay the foundation for longitudinal analyses of the changing beliefs and behaviors of persons with Alzheimer's throughout their illness trajectory.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the perceptions of health maintenance and promotion among older adults diagnosed with Alzheimer's
• Analyze differences according to race, class, gender, and diagnosis
• Discuss implications of the findings for understanding the diversity of persons with Alzheimer's

Keywords: Health Promotion, Dementia

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered