Memory Functions of Taiwanese American Older Adults

Memory complaints are common among older adults, of which ethnic minorities are the fastest growing group. Little is known about the memory function of Taiwanese American older adults. This article utilizes a cross-sectional, correlational design to examine the relationship between sleep, physical activity, depression, and memory self-efficacy and memory function and to determine the variance in memory function explained by the four independent variables and six control variables in Taiwanese American older adults. Memory self-efficacy correlated significantly with memory performance. Among the independent variables and control variables, age was the strongest predictor of memory function. A simultaneous multiple regression analysis showed that the four independent and six control variables together accounted for 41.8% of the variance in memory function. Results of this study are consistent with that of many other studies conducted in the United States: Memory declined with age.