Announcing the Vietnamese Insights into Aging Program (VIP)‐ The First Cohort Study of Cognitive Aging in Vietnamese Americans

Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial population in the U.S; yet very little is known about their cognitive aging and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) risk. Vietnamese Americans are the largest Southeast Asian group and are at high risk for health disparities. Unlike other large Asian subgroups, due to their sociopolitical history and experiences as refugees, Vietnamese Americans have faced a significant amount of adversity and trauma. As Vietnamese Americans age and their susceptibility to ADRD increases, their context may provide unique understanding in terms of within‐group heterogeneity and reveal key factors in ADRD and cognitive aging. The Vietnamese Insights into Aging Program (VIP) is the first longitudinal study of older Vietnamese Americans and addresses the dearth of ADRD research in this high‐disparity population. The goal is to obtain estimates of cognitive impairment and dementia in the community and identify ADRD risk (e.g., early life trauma) and protective (e.g., social support) factors in this understudied population.