Latinos’ appraisals of and responses to memory problems

Interest in finding early markers or risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) has increased along with intervention options. Subjective memory complaints (SMC), the perception of cognitive decline in individuals with normal cognition, have been one area of focus. SMC are common among older adults and may be more prevalent among Latinos, among whom AD cases will grow rapidly. Fifty-four Latinos (ages 40-64) in a study of the impact of receiving information about one's AD risk reported current SMC and completed semi-structured qualitative interviews. They discussed the SMC's causes and consequences, their coping responses, and whether they had sought medical help. Most offered benign or normalizing explanations for their SMC. Many employed compensatory coping strategies that lessened the problem's practical and emotional consequences. Few discussed the problem with a physician. The findings provide novel insights regarding Latinos' illness behavior in response to SMC.