Demystifying Forgetfulness in Houston’s Vietnamese Community

Researchers at the University of Houston are training undergraduate pre-med students and providing free cognitive tests to Houston’s senior community that participants can bring to their primary care providers. These tests are usually inaccessible with a long waiting list. The group has also partnered with Vietnamese doctors and nurses in Houston to disseminate one-pagers about Alzheimer’s disease in their offices in English and Vietnamese.

The educational approach piloted this year has met a need in the community and illustrated that many older people are interested in knowing about their brain health.

Dr. Christina Miyawaki received her MSW with an emphasis in gerontology from the University of California, Berkeley, and PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Washington. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Her research interests include health and health disparities of older adults of color and the well-being of older adults and their informal caregivers among diverse populations including immigrants and refugees.

Kim Nguyen is an undergraduate student majoring in Public Health and minoring in Biology and Medicine & Society with a pre-medical track. She migrated from Vietnam to Houston 6 years ago and has been involved in researching the Vietnamese community for 3 years alongside Dr. Miyawaki. Kim's research interest involves the underserved community with special interests in the Vietnamese community, people with disabilities, people with rare diseases, and equal access to healthcare services.

Angel Nguyen is a first-generation Asian American and a Senior with a degree in Public Health and a minor in Biology who is applying to medical school next year. Passionate about addressing health disparities and learning what it means to be a healer.

Learn more at ⁠uh.edu/socialwork/actionresearch⁠