The knowledge and attitude of Nepalese nursing students towards dementia

Abstract

Background: As aging is a significant risk factor for dementia, the number of persons with dementia is growing annually as a result of the aging population, which implies the need for better geriatric care services in terms of both quantity and quality. Methods: The knowledge and attitudes of Nepalese nursing students (n = 177) concerning dementia were examined using a descriptive correlational research approach. Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) and Dementia Attitude Scale (DAS) were used to measure students' knowledge and attitude of dementia. Results and discussion: The overall mean score of the ADKS was found to be 19.64 (SD = 3.363) out of 30, while the total mean score on dementia attitude of the DAS was 93.82 (SD = 10.09) out of 140. A positive relationship was established between the knowledge and the attitude scores (r = 0.148, P = 0.050), demonstrating limited knowledge and positive attitude towards people with dementia in nursing students.

Keywords

• Dementia
• Knowledge
• Attitudes
• Nursing students
• Demographic factors