Research Information System
PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, vol.01, no.01, pp.1-8, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
Objectives: 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.
Design: A community-based cross-sectional study.
Sample: A survey was conducted with 1106 participants between April and August 2023.
Measurements: 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.
Results: 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.
Conclusion: 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 DKAST.