Objective: The difficulties experienced by dementia patients significantly affect the daily lives of patients and their families. The incidence of Alzheimer's disease, one of the most common diseases associated with dementia, is increasing. For this reason, raising awareness about dementia is of critical importance in terms of early diagnosis, treatment, care, behavior and attitudes towards individuals with dementia. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study aims to determine whether being young or old makes a difference in the level of knowledge about dementia. For this purpose, a questionnaire consisting of 2 parts was developed. A total of 800 people, consisting of young (20-39) and older (65+) individuals, participated in the study. Data from the study were analyzed using t-test and analysis of variance. Results: The results do not show that there is a significant agerelated difference in the level of knowledge about dementia. However, when age, gender, marital status and education were added, significant differences were found between the groups. When the difference between the knowledge levels of the participants according to age and gender was compared, it was found that older women scored higher than older men, and this difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: Having adequate information on dementia and related diseases is important for early diagnosis and the positive attitude and awareness of individuals and caregivers towards patients with dementia and Alzheimer's. In general, although the level of knowledge about dementia is not very low, it is recommended to organize formal education and awareness programs to increase awareness.
Keywords: Aging; Alzheimer disease; awareness
Amaç: Demans hastalarının yaşadığı zorluklar, hastaların ve ailelerinin günlük yaşamlarını önemli ölçüde etkilemektedir. Demansla ilişkili en yaygın hastalıklardan biri olan Alzheimer hastalığının görülme sıklığı giderek artmaktadır. Buna sebeple demans konusunda farkındalığın artırılması, erken tanı, tedavi, bakım, davranış ve toplumda demanslı bireylere yönelik tutumlar açısından kritik öneme sahiptir. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Kesitsel tipte olan bu çalışma, genç ya da yaşlı olmanın demans hakkında bilgi düzeyinde fark yaratıp yaratmadığını belirlemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu amaçla 2 bölümden oluşan bir anket geliştirilmiştir. Çalışmaya genç (20-39) ve yaşlı (65+) bireylerden oluşan toplam 800 kişi katılmıştır. Çalışmadan elde edilen veriler, t-testi ve varyans analizi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Bulgular: Sonuçlar, demans hakkında bilgi düzeyinde yaşa bağlı anlamlı bir fark olduğunu göstermemektedir. Ancak yaşa cinsiyet, medeni durum ve eğitim eklendiğinde gruplar arasında anlamlı farklılıklar bulunmuştur. Katılımcıların yaş ve cinsiyete göre bilgi düzeyleri arasındaki fark karşılaştırıldığında yaşlı kadınların yaşlı erkeklerden daha yüksek puan aldığı ve bu farkın istatistiksel olarak anlamlı olduğu bulunmuştur. Sonuç: Demans ve ilişkili hastalıklar hakkında yeterli bilgiye sahip olunması, hastalığının erken teşhisi, bireylerin ve bakım verenlerin demans ve Alzheimer hastalarına karşı olumlu tutum ve farkındalık kazanmaları için önemlidir. Genel olarak, demans hakkında bilgi düzeyi çok düşük olmamakla birlikte farkındalığı artırmak için örgün eğitim ve bilinçlendirme programlarının düzenlenmesi önerilmektedir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Yaşlanma; Alzheimer hastalığı; farkındalık
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