Perceptions of Dementia among Young Arab Adults in Ontario

Abstract

Introduction As dementia rates are projected to rise among ethnic communities in Canada, understanding how these communities perceive the condition is increasingly important (Alzheimer Society of Canada, 2024). This study focuses on young Arab adults due to the Arab population's rapid growth and relatively young age profile in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2022; Canadian Arab Institute, 2019). Given cultural expectations around caregiving, many of these individuals may assume caregiving roles for relatives with dementia in the future. Their perceptions are therefore critical, as they can influence caregiving approaches and help-seeking behaviors. While international studies suggest that Arab communities may hold negative views of dementia (Brijnath et al., 2021; Kane et al., 2021; Abojabel & Werner, 2019), there is limited research exploring these perceptions within the Canadian context.

Objective The objective of this qualitative study is to explore the perceptions of dementia among young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 who are members of Arab communities in Ontario. The research question is ‘how do young Arab adults perceive dementia?’.

Methods This study recruited 10 young Arab adults and conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with each participant. Although the participants were provided with the choice of having an Arabic or English interview, all the participants opted for an English interview. Two interviews were conducted in-person and eight were conducted online. The study used reflexive thematic analysis to analyze the data using a software called MAXQDA.

Findings Three themes were generated from the reflexive thematic analysis. The themes provided an idea on how the participants and their communities perceive dementia. The three themes were: Describing dementia, Understanding the causes of dementia, and Living with dementia. The themes shared a range of different perceptions, which may be a reflection of the differences between the participants and their communities. The participants highlight many perceptions that were rooted in religious or spiritual beliefs – highlighting the importance of religion to the community. Overall, many perceptions reflect some stigma in how participants and their community view dementia, such as the hesitancy to use the word dementia or the negative language used to talk about dementia.

Implications This study shows the value of developing dementia resources that are both culturally and spiritually sensitive for Arab communities. Involving community members in co-creating educational tools, working with places of worship, and acknowledging the role of cultural beliefs in shaping care can help make public health efforts more effective. As for future researchers, there is a pivotal need to include Arabs living with dementia in Canadian research.