JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Many Korean American older adults have limited English proficiency, have low socioeconomic status, and are immigrants. The availability and accessibility of linguistic and culturally appropriate dementia-related healthcare and caregiving resources for this population is limited. This is concerning given that Korean American older adults are a rapidly growing population and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) is a significant public health issue.

Objective:

A community engagement dissemination project, Koreans Invested in Making Caregivers Health Important (KIMCHI), was developed by academic and community partners to culturally and linguistically tailor selected Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) evidence-based research for Korean American older adults, caregivers, and other stakeholders. Dissemination activities were conducted via in-person (“workshops”) and digital platforms. We assessed changes in pre-and post-test knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding ADRD prevention and caregiving among KIMCHI participants before and after their participation in KIMCHI workshop presentations.

Methods:

Through partnerships with one academic institution and two community organizations that serve Korean Americans, 211 participants participated in the KIMCHI in-person workshop presentations and 134 participants participated asynchronously online (via fact sheets on study website, YouTube videos, and other social media (Facebook; X (formerly Twitter)). Pre-and post-tests on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors for ADRD and caregiving were conducted with workshop participants. All participants (workshop and online) were administered satisfaction surveys. Paired-sample t-tests were conducted to assess mean changes pre-and post-test.

Results:

Among the workshop participants (N=211), most were older adults (mean 69 years, SD 12.1; range 24-90 years), female (70.1%), and foreign-born (96.2%). Many reported having limited English proficiency (79.1%). Significant improvements were observed in post-test ADRD knowledge (mean 11.51), attitudes (mean 7.13), and behaviors (mean 8.88) compared to pre-test scores (mean 10.34, 6.33, 8.11, respectively), t210=1.17, p<0.001, t210=0.8, p<0.001, and t210=0.76, p<0.001, respectively. Workshop participants reported high satisfaction (93.8%) with KIMCHI, with the workshop presentations being perceived as culturally relevant and applicable (93.8%). Most workshop participants expressed interest in learning more about ADRD-related health topics (89%). Similarly, the online participants (N=134) expressed high satisfaction (85.8%) and agreed that the topics and content were culturally relevant and applicable (87.2%) and learned new information (82.1%).

Conclusions:

Findings indicate that KIMCHI may have a positive impact on improving ADRD knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among Korean Americans. Academic-community collaborations should continue to culturally tailor the programs and studies to help ensure greater representation of Korean Americans in research and community engagement projects.