This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Evans, B. C. Articles by Greenberg, E. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Lessons Learned in Clinical Research: Using the MMSE With Older Mexican American Nursing Home Residents

Arizona State University College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation, Phoenix, AZ, bronwynne.evans{at}asu.edu

Neva L. Crogan

University of Connecticut School of Nursing, Storrs, CT.

Edward Greenberg

Arizona State University College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation, Phoenix, AZ

This authors examined the utility of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in a pilot study to measure cognitive function in older Mexican American nursing home residents. Many of the lessons learned are transferable to the community: Cognitive screening instruments must be carefully examined for validity and utility, they may need to be administered in Spanish, certain items may need alteration in the questions or expected responses, phrases to be repeated must be culturally appropriate, cutoff scores may need adjustment, "serial sevens" must be used, and education and socioeconomic status must be considered in interpretation of results. Consequently, the MMSE may not be an appropriate measure to use to assess cognitive functioning in older Hispanic populations whose educational levels or literacy is low or unknown. Instead, clinicians should seek other ways to assess mental status, such as other instruments normed for those populations or measures that do not require literacy. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc, 2008; 14(5), 373-378.

Key Words: aging • cross-cultural issues • ethnic groups • minorities • practice guideline

Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Vol. 14, No. 5, 373-378 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1078390308325197


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?