Alzheimer’s disease knowledge and shame among older Korean Americans living in subsidized senior housing

Shame associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a significant barrier to help-seeking and service utilization among older immigrants, and in collectivistic cultures, AD may be perceived as a source of family shame when knowledge about the disease is limited. Guided by Goffman’s stigma theory, this study examined the association between AD knowledge and AD-related shame among older Korean Americans, a population that often faces socioeconomic and informational barriers and may be at elevated risk for cognitive impairment. Data were drawn from a cross-sectional survey of 318 older Korean Americans residing in six subsidized senior housing communities in the greater Los Angeles area. AD-related shame was assessed. Sixteen percent of participants reported that they would feel shame if they had a family member with AD. In the logistic regression model, the odds of having AD-related shame were significantly higher with older age (OR = 1.06, 95% CI [1.01–1.12]) and significantly lower with higher acculturation (OR = 0.92, 95% CI [0.85–0.99]) and higher AD knowledge (OR = 0.78, 95% CI [0.62–0.97]). The inverse association between AD knowledge and shame underscores the importance of educational programs on AD. Efforts to improve AD literacy through culturally tailored educational interventions may help reduce AD-related shame among older Korean Americans, with these communities providing an important setting for delivering such programs.