What does the public really know about dementia? A community-based cross-sectional survey in Turkiye

Abstract

Despite the increasing burden of dementia, there has been no evaluation of the level of dementia knowledge among the general public in Turkiye. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the public's knowledge regarding dementia and the factors predicting this knowledge. This is a community-based cross-sectional study. A survey was conducted with 1106 participants between April and August 2023. The research tools were demographic characteristics form, a Turkish version of the dementia knowledge assessment scale (DKAS-T), and a form focusing on sociodemographic information and questions related to the degree of dementia knowledge. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression. The mean score on the DKAS-T was 12.32 ± 6.05 (min: 0 points, max: 33 points) out of 34. The sample recorded an incorrect response for less than half of the items in the dementia knowledge scale. Adjusted R2 was used as explanatory power. Moreover, the results of the multiple regression analysis identified various factors that significantly predicted dementia knowledge scores: age, prior education about dementia, experience of caring for a PwD, interaction with a PwD, and self-reported risk of being diagnosed with dementia in the future. These variables accounted for 18.1% of the total variance of dementia knowledge. Dementia is not well known in the public. The finding underscores the need for targeted educational initiatives to enhance dementia knowledge in the Turkish population. Interventions should focus on addressing specific areas of deficiency identified in the DKAS-T.