Objective: We aimed to identify sources of caregiver burden in middle-aged and older Latino caregivers of people with Alzheimer disease and related dementia (ADRD). Methods: Participants were recruited through an agreement with the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center Clinic Data Repository. We conducted semistructured interviews with 16 middle-aged and older Latinos who were the primary caregiver for a family member diagnosed with ADRD. The interview guide consisted of questions and probes to capture participants’ perceptions of family caregiving. Direct content analysis was performed. Results: Participants were aged 50 to 75 years (n = 16) and a majority female (n = 12). The sources of burden identified were (1) caregiver responsibilities, (2) caregiving-related health decline, (3) lack of support, (4) financial status, (5) vigilance, and (6) concerns about the future. Conclusions: The influence of gender roles seemed to play a role in caregivers’ perceptions of sources of burden, especially on caregiver responsibilities and perceptions of lack of support. Latinos cultural values such as familismo and marianismo likely reinforced gender disparities in family caregiving.

Hippocampal atrophy is associated with cognitive decline. Physical activity (PA) can reverse the hippocampal loss. This study investigated the effects of the 4 month BAILAMOS dance program on hippocampal volume and self-reported PA in Latinos. Participants were randomized to the BAILAMOS dance program or waitlist control group (N = 14, n = 10 intervention, n = 4 waitlist, 67 ± 6.1 years old, 70% female). Hippocampal volumes were derived from Magnetic Resonance Imaging whole-brain T1-weighted images. Participants self-reported PA through the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors Physical Activity Questionnaire for older adults. There were no statistically significant changes in hippocampal volume preintervention to postintervention (F[1, 8] = .077, p = .79, d = .05) and no associations between PA change and hippocampal volume (F[4, 13] = .71, p = .61). However, dance participants self-reported more PA (d = .54) compared to the control. These findings demonstrate that the BAILAMOS dance program did not decrease hippocampal atrophy; however, it increased self-reported PA. Future studies should include longer and more cognitively demanding interventions to determine whether dance can reduce cognitive decline through hippocampal changes.

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Background By 2060, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in Latinos is projected to increase by 832%,1 representing an increased demand of caregivers. Caregiving has been shown to increase risk for depression and anxiety,2 poorer quality of life (QoL)3 and health behaviors.4 There is a critical need to create linguistically and culturally responsive interventions to promote caregiver health as they often forgo their own health to help the person with ADRD. CoCO is a health education program centered on caregiver’s physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to assess the preliminary efficacy of CoCO on health‐related QoL, health behaviors, and symptoms of depression among Latina ADRD family caregivers. Methods Fourteen Latina ADRD family caregivers were randomized to the 8‐week, 2‐hours per week CoCO health education program delivered by health companions (n=8, mage=59.41±11.1) or a wait‐list control group who received the CoCO manual (n=6, mage=43.3±18.2). Health‐related QoL was assessed through the RAND 36‐item Health Survey (SF‐36).5 The Positive Health Behaviors scale6 was used to assess engagement in healthy activities. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.7‐8 T‐tests were used to assess change in the measures per group pre‐post intervention. Cohen’s d was used to calculate effect sizes. Results There were statistically significant increases in depressive symptoms pre‐post in both the intervention group (PreM=14.1±13.3, PostM=22.5±14.9, p=.007, d=1.32) and the control (PreM=5.5±3.6, PostM=14.0±10.0, p=.046, d=1.08). There were statically significant decreases in the emotional well‐being domain of the SF‐36 questionnaire in the control group only (PreM=79.3±18.5, PostM=67.3±15.5, p=.030, d=1.23). Cohen’s d values showed medium effect sizes showing a positive directionality in the physical activity domain of the health behavior scale for the intervention group only (PreM=5.50±4.90, PostM=7.75±4.03, p=.152, d=0.57). Conclusion Participants in the intervention demonstrated medium effects for the physical activity domain, suggesting an increase in physical activity. However, findings also indicate increased depressive symptoms and poorer health‐related quality of life. Health education interventions promoting health behavior changes in Latina ADRD family caregivers might benefit from including more extensive problem solving and coping strategies to improve depressive symptoms and QoL.