Perceptions of cognitive health: An ethnographic inquiry of rural older adults
| dc.contributor.advisor | Abonyi, Sylvia | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Morgan, Debra | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Jeffery, Bonnie | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Johnson, Shanthi | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Janzen, Bonnie | |
| dc.creator | Bacsu, Juanita Dawne | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2016-05-25T03:11:50Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-05-25T03:11:50Z | |
| dc.date.created | 2016-04 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2016-05-09 | |
| dc.date.submitted | April 2016 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Approximately 500,000 Canadian seniors suffer from dementia and this number is projected to increase significantly. The prevalence of dementia rises substantially with age. Existing literature focuses predominantly on the perspectives of older adults who have been diagnosed with dementia, but little is known about the ways that healthy older adults without dementia support their cognitive health, especially within rural communities. It is important to study the perceptions of rural seniors as they often face important barriers to cognitive health service utilization which is compounded by geographic distance, insufficient public transportation, limited seniors’ housing, and inadequate access to health and support services. Given the aging demographic in many rural communities across Canada, dementia has significant implications not only for individuals and their families but also for healthcare, community organizations, and government. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) to examine rural older adults’ perceptions and meanings of cognitive health; and 2) to identify how healthy rural seniors maintain and support their cognitive health. Exploring the perceptions of cognitive health among specific groups such as rural older adults facilitates the development of appropriate programs and strategies to support dementia education and awareness. Guided by ethnography and working in collaboration with local community partners, data was collected through participant observation and two waves of semi-structured interviews. Participants included 42 healthy older adults without dementia, aged 60 and older, in the rural communities of Watrous and Young, Saskatchewan, Canada. Drawing on the World Health Organization's Active Aging Framework and a combination of lay theory and cultural schema theory, thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes, patterns, and relationships within the data. Findings revealed a more complex and multidimensional view of cognitive health than previously cited in the literature. Based on the findings of this research, a Rural Cognitive Health Framework consisting of four key domains including intellectual health, social health, emotional health, and functional health was produced. Rural seniors identified a variety of supports and challenges to maintaining their cognitive health in each of these domains within a rural context, such as using technology to augment their social support and communication with family and friends. There is an increasing need for knowledge on preventative interventions to support and sustain cognitive health among older adults without dementia. The findings of this study suggest it is important to move beyond biomedical interventions to interventions informed by lived experience and a social determinants approach. Lay perspectives and contextual sensitivity are essential to understanding rural older adults’ perceptions of cognitive health. For example, rural older adults may have local insight or experiential knowledge in relation to identifying key supports and challenges affecting their cognitive health. A key implication of this study is that it is pertinent for decision makers to engage in local partnerships and recognize the importance of rural older adults' perceptions, knowledge, and experiences. As policy makers, community leaders, and researchers work to address the cognitive health needs of the rural aging demographic, it is essential to listen to the perspectives of rural older adults. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10388/ETD-2016-04-2486 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.subject | Rural health | |
| dc.subject | cognitive health | |
| dc.subject | dementia | |
| dc.subject | older adults | |
| dc.subject | gerontology | |
| dc.subject | community based participatory research | |
| dc.subject | ethnography | |
| dc.subject | engaged scholarship. | |
| dc.title | Perceptions of cognitive health: An ethnographic inquiry of rural older adults | |
| dc.type.genre | Thesis | |
| dc.type.material | text | |
| thesis.degree.department | Community Health and Epidemiology | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Community and Population Health Science | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Saskatchewan | |
| thesis.degree.level | Doctoral | |
| thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) |