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. 2024 Apr;27(2):e14026.
doi: 10.1111/hex.14026.

Assessing the impact of an online dementia awareness initiative co-created with and for English, Arabic and Vietnamese speaking communities: A case study

Yousra Ali  1 , Gabriela E Caballero  2 , Eman Shatnawi  2 , Ann Dadich  3   4 , Genevieve Z Steiner-Lim  2   3 , Canterbury Bankstown Dementia Alliance  5 , Michelle DiGiacomo  6 , Diana Karamacoska  2   3
Affiliations

Assessing the impact of an online dementia awareness initiative co-created with and for English, Arabic and Vietnamese speaking communities: A case study

Yousra Ali et al. Health Expect. 2024 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Awareness and understanding of dementia remain limited in ethnically diverse populations in multicultural societies due to culturally inappropriate and inaccessible information.

Objective: To establish the impact, helpers and hinderers of an online multilingual dementia awareness initiative co-created with and for English, Arabic and Vietnamese speaking people.

Design: A case study using mixed methods to assess the impact and implementation of an information session on dementia knowledge.

Setting and participants: The study was conducted with English, Arabic and Vietnamese speaking individuals in Canterbury-Bankstown, Australia.

Intervention studied: A dementia alliance co-created an online multilingual dementia information session, which was delivered synchronously in English, Arabic and Vietnamese by trained facilitators.

Main outcome measures: In-session group discussions, quizzes and a postsession survey assessed the impact on dementia knowledge. A postimplementation focus group explored the factors that helped and hindered the initiative.

Results: The online dementia information session successfully supported participants understanding of dementia causes, impacts and care strategies. The initiative was hindered by competing priorities and limited accessibility to target audiences, while it was helped by the support of an established organisation and feedback mechanisms.

Discussion: Ongoing dementia education and awareness-raising campaigns that are culturally sensitive are needed in communities to promote dementia literacy and help-seeking.

Conclusions: An online multilingual dementia information session can be an effective way to improve dementia literacy and advocate for change in multicultural communities.

Patient or public contribution: English, Arabic and Vietnamese speaking members of the Canterbury Bankstown Dementia Alliance participated in the co-creation and evaluation of this initiative.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; dementia; education; knowledge; multicultural; multilingual.

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Conflict of interest statement

As a medical research institute, NICM receives research grants and donations from foundations, universities, government agencies, individuals and industry. Sponsors and donors provide untied funding for work to advance the vision and mission of the Institute. The project that is the subject of this article was not undertaken as part of a contractual relationship with any organisation other than the funding declared. Genevieve Z. Steiner‐Lim and Diana Karamacoska are employed by NICM and are members of the Canterbury‐Bankstown Alliance. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sequence of the dementia information session.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Quiz 1 items and outcomes concerning dementia knowledge (A–C) and prevalence (D). This figure demonstrates the percentage of participants who correctly responded to all four questions within Quiz 1. Percentages are given across the English, Arabic and Vietnamese speaking groups, as well as the overall percentage across the three language groups.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Quiz 2 outcomes regarding symptoms and management of dementia. This figure demonstrates the percentage of participants who correctly responded to all four questions within Quiz 2. Percentages are given across the English‐, Arabic‐ and Vietnamese‐speaking groups, as well as the overall percentage across the three language groups.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Quiz 3 outcomes regarding services for dementia.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Postsession survey responses. This figure demonstrates the percentage of participant responses (n = 7) for each Likert scale item of the postsession survey.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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