The experience of dementia in China.
This paper reports the results of a longitudinal study carried out in urban China on the health and mental status of 200 elders 70 years of age or older and focuses on the experience of dementia. While older people and their families are aware of the phenomenon of dementia, it does not evoke the kind of dread that is common among Americans. This different response can be traced to beliefs about dementia, cultural values, and situational features of contemporary Chinese life.
Ikels
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Department of Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-7125, USA. cxi@po.cwru.edu
D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D002681:China; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003704:Dementia / Q000208:ethnology*; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population