Attitudes to Brain Health and Dementia Amongst the Chinese Population Living in the UK.

Background

Just under half a million people who identify as Chinese or Chinese-British are living in the UK. Chinese migrants have a distinctive linguistic and cultural heritage and are likely to differ from the wider UK population in their attitudes to dementia care. However, to date no studies have explored this area. This study aimed to compare attitudes to dementia amongst Chinese people and the wider UK population using a translated version of the 2023 Dementia Attitudes Monitor survey (DAM).

Methods

We translated the DAM into Simplified and Traditional Chinese and distributed this through an online survey. In total 84 UK based participants (65 women and 19 men) completed the survey. We weighted data by age and sex.

Results

We identified important differences between Chinese participants and the wider UK population. Chinese participants were more likely to report that they would find it hard to talk to someone with dementia and that they would not feel comfortable telling people outside their close family if they were to be diagnosed. Higher levels of knowledge about dementia were associated with increased reluctance to tell people outside their family. Chinese participants were equally willing to take a test that could tell them whether they were in the early stages of dementia, even before symptoms showed. They were also more likely to report that they would want to know information in midlife about their risk of developing dementia later on.

Conclusion

This paper is the first to report knowledge about brain functioning and dementia within the UK-based Chinese community. Chinese people are highly motivated to reduce their dementia risk - but to do so requires specific public health programmes that are adapted to meet the specific needs of Chinese communities.