Dementia knowledge and associated factors among older Chinese adults: a cross-national comparison between Melbourne and Beijing

Abstract

Objectives: This study compared dementia knowledge between older Chinese adults in Melbourne, Australia, and Beijing, China, and explored factors associated with dementia knowledge between these two groups. Ultimately, this study aimed to inform the development of tailored dementia education programs for older Chinese adults. Design: A cross-sectional design was employed in this study. Setting: Participants were recruited from 5 Chinese community senior groups in Melbourne and 10 community health centers in Beijing from March to May 2019. Participants: A total of 379 older Chinese adults aged 50 and over completed the questionnaire, including 153 from Melbourne and 226 from Beijing. Measurements: Dementia knowledge was assessed using the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS). Demographic characteristics, dementia-related experience, and the mental health status of participants were collected. Stepwise linear regression was used to analyze the factors associated with dementia knowledge. Results: In general, older Chinese adults in Melbourne and Beijing reported similar levels of dementia knowledge for both the overall ADKS scale (mean ± SD: 17.2 ± 2.9 in Melbourne vs. 17.5 ± 2.9 in Beijing, p > 0.05) and the seven subdomains. Of the subdomains, the highest correct response rates were observed in the life impact of the dementia subdomain, and the lowest rates were observed in the caregiving subdomain. Stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that younger age and self-reported dementia worry were significantly associated with higher levels of dementia knowledge in the Melbourne group, whereas a positive family history of dementia was significantly associated with higher levels of dementia knowledge in the Beijing group. Conclusions: Older Chinese adults living in Melbourne and Beijing share similar levels of dementia knowledge, but factors associated with their knowledge are different. These findings will inform the development of culturally and socially appropriate dementia education programs for older Chinese populations in different countries.

Attitudes towards dementia among Chinese adults aged 50 years and older: a comparative study of immigrants living in Melbourne and nonimmigrants living in Beijing

“…These findings indicate that Chinese adults' understandings of dementia might relate more to folklore knowledge, cultural beliefs, or self-experience than to scientific evidence. Our previous study also found that older Chinese adults living in Melbourne and Beijing had insufficient knowledge of dementia, with a mean score of approximately 17.5 out of 30, which was consistent with other studies in the United States and mainland China (Sun et al, 2014;Yang et al, 2021;Zhao et al, 2021). Therefore, future research should focus on increasing the public's evidence-based knowledge about dementia.…”

“…First, the method we used is a qualitative comparative study in nature and is usually considered as part of the mixed research methodologies (Rihoux and Lobe, 2009;Rihoux, 2006). The findings might partly complement our previous survey findings on the different levels of dementia knowledge between older adults living in Beijing and Melbourne (Zhao et al, 2021). However, the qualitative comparative analysis is case-sensitive and may limit the generalizability of our findings from a statistical viewpoint.…”

An Assessment of Dementia Knowledge and Its Associated Factors Among Health College Students in Saudi Arabia

“…This was not corresponding to another study, which revealed that students who had family members with dementia had significantly higher levels of dementia knowledge than those without such relatives [27]. Another study reported that a positive family history of dementia was significantly associated with higher levels of dementia knowledge [29]. Our findings reported that higher knowledge of dementia was associated with no previous formal dementia education and without informal occupational/working experience in caring for dementia patients, which was inconsistent with another study [1].…”

“…Furthermore, our findings revealed that participants with no prior dementia exposure and aged 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, or 25 years were substantially related to a greater level of dementia knowledge. Previous research found that younger age and self-reported dementia anxiety were substantially related to higher levels of dementia awareness [29]. Younger people may have more access to dementia-related information, particularly online, and they may experience fewer English language difficulties, allowing them to obtain bilingual material.…”

Comparisons of Dementia Knowledge and Attitudes among the Youth and Older Adults: Insights from the Construal Level Theory Perspective

“…The data of participation in dementia-related activities ( Table 1 ) show that older people actually participated in more dementia-related activities than college students and high school students (41.9% for older adults, 10.9% for young students). Similarly, another empirical research found that self-reported dementia worry was significantly associated with higher levels of dementia knowledge [ 32 ]. Apart from age groups, Table 3 also showed that education and participation in dementia-related activities were positively associated with dementia knowledge.…”