Abstract
Based on Construal Level Theory (CLT), the youth and older adults have different psychological distances towards dementia that may lead to different dementia knowledge and attitudes. A cross-sectional survey among 239 youth and 62 older adults using a two-step sampling approach in Macao aimed to examine the hypothesis. Results showed older adults had a higher score of dementia knowledge (F(1,299) = 45.692, p <0.001) but a lower score of dementia attitudes (F(1,299) = 161.887, p <0.001) compared to the youth. Age group explained the majority of the variances in the hierarchical multiple regressions for dementia knowledge (R2 = 0.178, F = 9.059, p < 0.001) and for dementia attitudes (R2 = 0.399, F = 24.233, p < 0.001), which are β = 0.47 and −0.56, respectively. Thus, the hypothesis was supported and revealed an interesting pattern of dementia knowledge and attitudes among the youth and older adults. From the CLT perspective, the study implies that reducing and bridging the psychological distance of dementia would probably be an effective strategy to increase dementia awareness among young people, and intergenerational programs may be a good option to increase community acceptance and support for people with dementia.
Highlights
Dementia is a chronic neurodegenerative disease and a leading cause of disability and dependency among older people [1]
This study revealed an interesting pattern of dementia knowledge and attitudes among the youth and older adults from the Construal Level Theory perspective
The study shows more sufficient knowledge but fewer positive attitudes towards dementia in older adults compared to the youth
Summary
Dementia is a chronic neurodegenerative disease and a leading cause of disability and dependency among older people [1]. It can devastate the lives of affected individuals, their caregivers, and families. It is estimated that around 50 million people were living with dementia globally in 2018, and this number is expected to triple to 152 million by 2050 because of the aging population [2]. Macao is a Special Administrative Region of China, with a total population of 683,000, of which older people aged 65 years and above accounted for. It is estimated that around six thousand people are currently living with dementia in Macao [5]. In response to the increasing dementia population, the government of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) launched a dementia policy in
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
