Alzheimer's Knowledge
Older news items (pre-2010) brought over from the old website
Poor Understanding of Alzheimer's Link to Heart Health Risk Factors
An online survey of 690 adults (average age 50; well-educated, with 87% having had some college) found that 64% did not realize there was an association between Alzheimer's and obesity or high blood pressure; 66% didn’t know that high stress is a risk factor for dementia; 34% didn’t know that physical exercise is a protective factor.
Jackson, C.E. et al. 2009. Dementia literacy: Public understanding of known risk factors. Presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease July 11-16 in Vienna.
Misconceptions about Alzheimer's common
A recent survey of nearly 1200 people has found a high degree of misconceptions about Alzheimer’s in America. Half the respondents were unaware that anything could be done to maintain cognitive functioning and reduce Alzheimer's risk. Although there were no significant differences among races in the level of concern about getting Alzheimer's, many more blacks and Hispanics than whites responded that they believe that Alzheimer's is a normal part of aging. However, blacks and Hispanics were also more likely than whites to report changing their diet or lifestyle to avoid developing Alzheimer's.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-09/uom-maa091807.php
Connell, C.M., Scott Roberts, J. & McLaughlin, S.J. 2007. Public Opinion About Alzheimer Disease Among Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites: Results From a National Survey. Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, 21(3), 232-240.
Survey reveals ethnic differences in knowledge about Alzheimer's
The Alzheimer's Foundation of America's (AFA) second Investigating Caregivers' Attitudes and Needs survey has revealed that African-American and Hispanic caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease are significantly more likely (37% and 33%, respectively) than caregivers of other races (23%) to consider the disease a normal part of the aging process and also more likely (70% and 67%, vs 53%) to dismiss its symptoms as part of getting older, thus delaying diagnosis. They were also more likely (67% and 63%, vs 49%) to report that they did not know enough about the disease to recognize the symptoms.
Fears of stigma also play a part in delaying diagnosis, with around one-third (33%) of respondents reporting that their loved one's concern about stigma delayed diagnosis, and about a quarter (26%) indicating that their own concern about stigma contributed to the delay. African-American caregivers were significantly more concerned about stigma (36%) than Hispanic (22%) and other race (18%) caregivers.
Races other than African-American and Hispanic were far more likely to consider placing their loved one in a facility: 32% compared to African-American (19%) and Hispanic (21%) caregivers. African-American and Hispanic caregivers were more likely to use a support groups than other races (47% and 50%, vs 29%). Yet only around half of African-American respondents and a little more than one-third of Hispanic respondents said that they felt the support groups they were able to access were appropriate to their specific religious or ethnic background. At diagnosis, caregivers overall wished they had received more information about Alzheimer's disease (75%) and treatment options (75%), with African-American caregivers (83%) significantly more likely than Hispanic (73%) and other (68%) caregivers to wish they had received more information.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-03/fi-srm030907.php