Volume 35, Issue 247 (8-2025)
J Mazandaran Univ Med Sci 2025, 35(247): 131-135 |
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Safary Y, Sayyahi F. The Relationship between Language and Verbal Memory in Kurdish-Speaking Elderly Patients Attending Public Medical Centers in Kermanshah (2021). J Mazandaran Univ Med Sci 2025; 35 (247) :131-135
URL: http://jmums.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-21270-en.html
URL: http://jmums.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-21270-en.html
Abstract: (81 Views)
Background and purpose: Physician–patient verbal communication is the primary tool for conducting an accurate clinical examination. An inaccurate understanding may lead to inappropriate treatment. Bilingualism has the potential to influence the quality of this type of communication, particularly among elderly patients who predominantly speak their first language. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between language proficiency and verbal memory in Kurdish-speaking elderly patients attending public medical centers in Kermanshah.
Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, thirty-four patients over the age of 70 were selected using simple random sampling. Verbal memory was assessed using the Fiore method. Clinical information was first delivered to the patient in Persian by a non-local physician, and subsequently in Kurdish by the examiner. In both cases, and after a twenty-minute delay, the patient was asked to recall the keywords from the clinical information. The proportion of remembered keywords relative to the total number presented was calculated and analyzed.
Results: The mean percentage of remembered keywords in Kurdish (79.6%) was significantly higher than in Persian (63.7%) (P< 0.001). In both languages, women (Kurdish: 80.2%, Persian: 67.9%) recalled more keywords than men (Kurdish:75.2%, Persian: 60.5%) (P< 0.001). There was no significant correlation between verbal memory and occupation (U=43, P= 0.83) or educational status of participants (U= 36, P= 0.28).
Conclusion: Bilingual elderly patients retain clinical information more effectively when it is communicated in their mother tongue. Given the importance of the national health program for olderadults and the need to enhance verbal communication in clinical settings, it is recommended that priority be given to service delivery by local physicians in the bilingual regions of the country.
Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, thirty-four patients over the age of 70 were selected using simple random sampling. Verbal memory was assessed using the Fiore method. Clinical information was first delivered to the patient in Persian by a non-local physician, and subsequently in Kurdish by the examiner. In both cases, and after a twenty-minute delay, the patient was asked to recall the keywords from the clinical information. The proportion of remembered keywords relative to the total number presented was calculated and analyzed.
Results: The mean percentage of remembered keywords in Kurdish (79.6%) was significantly higher than in Persian (63.7%) (P< 0.001). In both languages, women (Kurdish: 80.2%, Persian: 67.9%) recalled more keywords than men (Kurdish:75.2%, Persian: 60.5%) (P< 0.001). There was no significant correlation between verbal memory and occupation (U=43, P= 0.83) or educational status of participants (U= 36, P= 0.28).
Conclusion: Bilingual elderly patients retain clinical information more effectively when it is communicated in their mother tongue. Given the importance of the national health program for olderadults and the need to enhance verbal communication in clinical settings, it is recommended that priority be given to service delivery by local physicians in the bilingual regions of the country.
Type of Study: Brief Report |
Subject:
Social Medicine
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