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

Abstract

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.

Keywords

• Dementia
• Education
• Prevention
• Knowledge