The factor structure of a short acculturation scale for Filipino Americans in an adult U.S.-born sample

Illness perceptions and blood pressure control among hypertensive Filipino Americans: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Among Asian Americans, Filipino Americans (FAs)-who constitute the fourth largest US immigrant group and who fill in health care workforce shortages-experience high prevalence but low control rates of high blood pressure (HBP). Research reveals that patients' illness perceptions, their common-sense model (CSM) of the illness, influence treatment behaviors, and management outcomes. However, scarce information exists about FAs' perceptions about HBP.

PURPOSE

To address this gap, we conducted a cross-sectional study to (a) identify the illness perceptions of hypertensive FAs, (b) classify these perceptions into clusters, and (c) determine the association between illness perceptions and BP control.

METHODOLOGY

The responses of 248 FAs with HBP to the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire were analyzed using JMP Pro version 17 to discover their CSMs or illness perceptions. We used iterative K means cluster analysis to classify variations in CSMs and analysis of means chart to determine the association of illness perceptions and BP control.

RESULTS

Hypertensive FAs expressed threatening (negative) views of HBP through their emotional perceptions of the illness and its chronic time line, whereas their positive views centered on their cognitive beliefs about understanding HBP and its controllability. Based on the biomedical model of HBP, the overall illness perceptions or CSMs encompassed three clusters. Generally, threatening illness perceptions were associated with stage 2 HBP.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS

The findings underscore the need for nurse practitioners to elicit, listen, discern, and understand the illness perceptions or CSMs of hypertensive FAs to improve BP treatment and control with scientifically and culturally tailored interventions.

Systematic Review for Survey Instruments to Measure Cultural Identification of Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Filipinos

Numerous studies have used survey instruments to measure the degree of cultural identity/identification for a racial group to examine how they identify with their heritage or cultural group. However, only a few systematic reviews have summarized the survey instruments for Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Filipinos. This systematic review aimed to summarize reliable and validated survey instruments that assessed the cultural identity/identification of Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Filipinos in 3 steps: (1) identifying studies that meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria; (2) evaluating the psychometric properties of the instrument with reported validity and reliability test results; and (3) summarizing the selected studies. A search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Health and Psychosocial Instruments databases for published articles related to the cultural identification for the 3 racial groups. Sixteen unique articles met the inclusion/exclusion criteria: 7 for Filipinos, 3 for Native Hawaiians, 1 for Pacific Islanders, 2 for Asian Americans, and 3 for non-specific Indigenous people. Three reviewers assessed the psychometric properties of the 16 articles using the pre-determined criteria and summarized the survey instruments and study outcomes. All the selected articles discussed their survey instrument's validity. This review can serve as a resource for researchers who want to apply a culturally tailored survey instrument for Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Filipinos in their research studies.

The development of the Cognitive Assessment for Tagalog Speakers (CATS): A culturally and linguistically tailored test battery for Filipino Americans

INTRODUCTION

Filipino Americans are one of the largest Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) populations in the United States (US). Previous studies suggest that Filipino Americans have one of the highest incidence rates of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) among AAPI subgroups. Despite the expected increase in Filipino Americans with ADRD, no studies to-date have validated neuropsychological measures in the United States for speakers of Tagalog, a major language spoken by Filipino Americans. A significant barrier to dementia care and diagnosis is the lack of linguistically and socioculturally appropriate cognitive tasks for Tagalog speakers. To address this need, we developed and piloted the Cognitive Assessment for Tagalog Speakers (CATS), the first neuropsychological battery for the detection of ADRD in Filipino American Tagalog speakers.

METHODS

Based on evidence-based neuropsychological batteries, we adapted and constructed de novo tasks to measure performance across 4 main cognitive domains: visual/verbal memory, visuospatial functioning, speech and language, and frontal/executive functioning. Tasks were developed with a team of bilingual English/Tagalog, bicultural Filipino American/Canadian experts, including a neurologist, speech-language pathologist, linguist, and neuropsychologist. We recruited Tagalog-speaking participants of age 50+ through social media advertisements and recruitment registries for this cross-sectional study. We present the CATS design and protocol.

RESULTS

To-date, the CATS battery has been administered to 26 healthy control participants (age 64.5 ± 7.8 years, 18F/8 M) at an academic institution in Northern California, United States. The development and administration of the CATS battery demonstrated its feasibility but also highlighted the need to consider the effects of bilingualism, language typology, and cultural factors in result interpretation.

DISCUSSION

The CATS battery provides a mechanism for cognitive assessment of Filipino Americans, a population that has been underrepresented in ADRD research. As we move toward the treatment and cure of ADRD, linguistically and socioculturally appropriate cognitive tests become even more important for equitable care.

Ang Ating Mata: Disparities in Eye Health Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices among Older Adult Filipino-Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area Counties

Filipino-Americans are the third largest Asian-American population, with a median age of 44. However, there is limited literature focusing on the group's ophthalmic care engagement. Timely eye examinations and outreach are necessary to reduce visual impairment in this older community. To assess eye care knowledge, attitudes, and practices, we conducted a cross-sectional study surveying Filipino-Americans within the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Associations between primary outcomes and sociodemographic factors were analyzed using chi-squared analysis and student's T-test. In our convenience sample of 256 surveys, a majority of participants are receiving appropriate eye care; those that lacked health and eye insurance, immigrated and are lower income did not receive optimal eye care. Study participants also demonstrated a lack of awareness of eye diseases and risk factors. Our results suggest that culturally sensitive eye health education materials are lacking and should be made accessible for this large and rapidly growing population.

A Pragmatic Assessment of Google Translate for Emergency Department Instructions

BACKGROUND

Because many hospitals have no mechanism for written translation, ED providers resort to the use of automated translation software, such as Google Translate (GT) for patient instructions. A recent study of discharge instructions in Spanish and Chinese suggested that accuracy rates of Google Translate (GT) were high.

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To perform a pragmatic assessment of GT for the written translation of commonly used ED discharge instructions in seven commonly spoken languages.

METHODS

A prospective assessment of the accuracy of GT for 20 commonly used ED discharge instruction phrases, as evaluated by a convenience sample of native speakers of seven commonly spoken languages (Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Korean, Armenian, and Farsi). Translations were evaluated using a previously validated matrix for scoring machine translation, containing 5-point Likert scales for fluency, adequacy, meaning, and severity, in addition to a dichotomous assessment of retention of the overall meaning.

RESULTS

Twenty volunteers evaluated 400 google translated discharge statements. Volunteers were 50% female and spoke Spanish (5), Armenian (2), Chinese (3), Tagalog (4), Korean (2), and Farsi (2). The overall meaning was retained for 82.5% (330/400) of the translations. Spanish had the highest accuracy rate (94%), followed by Tagalog (90%), Korean (82.5%), Chinese (81.7%), Farsi (67.5%), and Armenian (55%). Mean Likert scores (on a 5-point scale) were high for fluency (4.2), adequacy (4.4), meaning (4.3), and severity (4.3) but also varied.

CONCLUSION

GT for discharge instructions in the ED is inconsistent between languages and should not be relied on for patient instructions.