Dementia worry in middle-aged and older adults in Germany: sociodemographic, health-related and psychological correlates

Abstract

Dementia worry" (DW; i.e., concern about developing dementia) is highly prevalent in the general population. However, research on the characteristics associated with lower and higher levels of DW is still limited. Based on previous empirical and conceptual work, we examined the extent to which DW was related to a comprehensive range of objective and subjective characteristics (sociodemographics, contact with people with dementia, physical health-related risk factors, well-being/ psychological distress, aging self-perceptions, social-cognitive health beliefs about dementia). A convenience sample of N = 219 German adults 40 + years (M = 65.50 years, SD = 11.34; 40-94 years) reporting no dementia or cognitive impairment diagnosis completed questionnaires. We improved upon previous research by using a ten-item scale to measure DW. We used bivariate correlations and multivariate regression to examine the extent to which DW was related to the potential concomitants. 41.1% of the participants indicated DW. Together, the predictor variables explained 53.3% of the variance in DW. DW was related to psychological distress, perceived memory change, aging anxiety, and personal risk perception in both the bivariate and multivariate analyses. There was a quadratic (reverse U shape) relationship between age and DW. Physical health-related risk factors were not related to DW. Our findings suggest that DW represents a hybrid of psychological distress, aging self-perceptions, and a specific type of health concern. Healthcare practitioners should consider a person's psychological characteristics when deciding how to intervene when someone indicates moderate or high DW.

The Dunedin dementia risk awareness project: pilot study in older adults

“…An increased understanding of public views about dementia is a priority. Health beliefs have long been recognized as an important factor in risk self-management, and recent studies demonstrate that it is true when "dementia worry" is examined (Bowen et al, 2019;Sayegh and Knight, 2013). Perceived threat of disease-personal susceptibility-is associated with willingness to seek out preventive options, whereas beliefs about causes influence selfmanagement (Janz and Becker, 1984).…”

Factors Related to Dementia Worry: Comparing Middle-Aged and Older Adults in South Korea

“…According to previous studies reporting mental health factors aff ecting dementia worry, worry level is signifi cantly positively associated with depressive symptoms (Kinzer & Suhr, 2015;Ostergren, Heeringa, Leon, Connell, & Roberts, 2017). However, objective factors related to physical health such as heart attack, stroke, and high-blood pressure were not found to be related to dementia worry (Bowen et al, 2018). Personal exposure to dementia (genetic or nongenetic) is one of the most infl uential factors related to dementia worry (Cutler & Hodgson, 2001;Kinzer & Suhr, 2015).…”

“…Later, Kessler, Bowen, Baer, Froelich, and Wahl (2012) introduced the term "dementia worry" to address the threat of all types of dementia for all age groups. In Germany, 41.1% of adults reported worrying about developing dementia (3.2% were very worried; Bowen, Kessler, & Segler, 2018). In South Korea, 36.5% of older adults reported worrying about the onset of dementia (8.6% were very worried; Park, Park, Yoon, Kim, & Chun, 2017).…”

“…Personal exposure to dementia (genetic or nongenetic) is one of the most infl uential factors related to dementia worry (Cutler & Hodgson, 2001;Kinzer & Suhr, 2015). Furthermore, lower subjective memory status (i.e., self-rated memory) is related to increased dementia worry (Bowen et al, 2018;Cutler & Hodgson, 1996, 2001Kinzer & Suhr, 2015). Some studies have reported that women worried more about the onset of dementia than men (Bowen et al, 2018;Cantegreil-Kallen & Pin, 2012;Cutler & Hodgson, 2001), whereas others did not (Kinzer & Suhr, 2015).…”

“…Furthermore, lower subjective memory status (i.e., self-rated memory) is related to increased dementia worry (Bowen et al, 2018;Cutler & Hodgson, 1996, 2001Kinzer & Suhr, 2015). Some studies have reported that women worried more about the onset of dementia than men (Bowen et al, 2018;Cantegreil-Kallen & Pin, 2012;Cutler & Hodgson, 2001), whereas others did not (Kinzer & Suhr, 2015). One study suggested gender diff erences interact with whether respondents live with parents who have Alzheimer's disease (AD)-that females experience more worry than malesalthough gender as a single factor was not a signifi cant predictor (Cutler & Hodgson, 1996).…”