Cognitive impairment in Mexican Americans: a population-based study

摘要 到本世纪中叶，拉美裔/拉丁裔将占美国人口的30%以上，墨西哥裔美国人 在这一不断增长的社会阶层中占最大份额。这项提议旨在使用上门服务 在德克萨斯州努塞斯县的监测，一个非移民的双民族社区，以确定流行率和 墨西哥裔美国人和非西班牙裔白人认知损害和痴呆症的时间轨迹。我们 将阐明阿尔茨海默病的种族差异假说的机制，以及 评估血管疾病危险因素、教育程度对阿尔茨海默病相关痴呆的影响 以及社会经济地位等。本研究还将深入探讨非正式语言的差异。 墨西哥裔美国人和非西班牙裔白人认知障碍和痴呆症的照顾。护理者 将检查照顾者的负担和心理和身体健康，以努力制定干预措施 这会增强照顾者的韧性。这项以人口为基础的研究的一个新能力是检查社区 为患者和照顾者提供的资源，以及这些规定如何因种族而不同。使用严格的混合 方法方法我们将确定可用资源与认知障碍患者的需求之间的差距 损伤和痴呆症。通过这种方式，我们将很好地提出特定种族的可测试性 促进认知障碍和痴呆症患者身心健康的干预措施，如 以及那些提供照顾的家庭成员。因此，这项研究将导致改善油井 认知障碍和痴呆症患者及其照顾者的生存、自主性和结果。 调查组成员在这个社区进行了20年的研究，是 墨西哥裔美国人文化与健康、认知障碍与痴呆症、流行病学方法、社区 需求评估和健康行为研究。随着墨西哥裔美国人继续其 巨大的增长和老龄化对更好地了解糖尿病的发病率和后果至关重要 认知障碍和痴呆症，并迅速制定干预措施，以解决 这些常见疾病给墨西哥裔美国成年人、家庭和社区带来了负担。

Abstract Hispanic/Latinos will comprise more than 30% of the U.S. population by mid-century, and Mexican Americans account for the largest share of this growing segment of society. This proposal aims to use door-to-door surveillance in Nueces County, Texas, a non-immigrant, bi-ethnic community, to determine the prevalence and trajectory over time of cognitive impairment and dementia in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites. We will elucidate the mechanisms that explain the hypothesized ethnic disparity in Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer-related dementias by evaluating the roles of vascular disease risk factors, educational attainment and socio-economic status among others. This research will also delve deeply into the differences in informal caregiving for Mexican American and non-Hispanic whites with cognitive impairment and dementia. Caregiver burden and mental and physical health of caregivers will be examined toward efforts to develop interventions that build resilience in caregivers. A novel ability of this population-based study is to examine community resources for both patients and caregivers, and how these provisions differ by ethnicity. Using a rigorous mixed methods approach we will identify the gap between available resources and needs for those with cognitive impairment and dementia. In this way we will be well positioned to propose ethnic-specific testable interventions that promote mental and physical health for those with cognitive impairment and dementia, as well as for those family members who provide the care. This research will therefore lead to improved well- being, autonomy and outcomes among those with cognitive impairment and dementia and their caregivers. The investigative team members have conducted research in this community for 20 years and are experts in Mexican American culture and health, cognitive impairment and dementia, epidemiologic methods, community needs assessment and health behavior research. As the Mexican American population continues its tremendous growth and aging it is vitally important to better understand the prevalence and outcomes of cognitive impairment and dementia in this population, and to rapidly develop interventions that address the burden of these common conditions in Mexican American adults, families, and communities.