Awareness and Understanding of Dementia in Community-Dwelling Adults Without Dementia and Stroke

Annals of Geriatric Medicine and Research

Hyung Jong Park¹  Seung Han Suk²  Young Seo Kim³  Hak Seung Lee³  Hyun Young Park³ 

[1] Department of Neurology, National Naju Hospital, Naju, Korea;Department of Neurology, Wonkwang University Sanbon Medical Center and Wonkwang University Ansan Municipal Geriatric Hospital, Gunpo, Korea;Department of Neurology, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Institute of Wonkwang Medical Science and Regional Cardiocerebrovascular Center, Iksan, Korea;

关键词: Dementia;    Education;    Prevention;    Knowledge;   

DOI  :  10.4235/agmr.2016.20.4.204

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Background: Early diagnosis and treatment of dementia has become a critical medical issue; however, knowledge and understanding of dementia in the general population remains insufficient. Accurately determining and increasing the level of knowledge of dementia will help improve dementia treatment and prevention. Methods: Using a questionnaire, we examined the degree of interest in dementia, comprehension of dementia, and level of knowledge of dementia among 716 middle-aged and elderly individuals without a history of stroke or dementia. We conducted an analysis of these associations with risk factors of dementia. Results: Most participants had an interest in dementia (93.3%) and a comprehension of dementia (91.1%). An analysis of the association between the level of knowledge of dementia, according to the characteristics of the participants and each variable, showed that higher education level, presence of a spouse, and higher level of interest in dementia exhibited a statistically significant positive correlation. Conclusion: This study shows that the level of knowledge about dementia in the community is relatively high for those participants who have a high interest in dementia or higher education level. To increase awareness of dementia and reduce dementia-associated socioeconomic costs, educational activities could be tailored to fit the level of education or interest in dementia of individuals, as an effective intervention for community-dwelling healthy adults.

【 授权许可】

Unknown