Lay Knowledge About Dementia in Iceland : Symptoms and Risk and Protective Factors

• Published in: Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
• Main Authors: Jónsdóttir, María Kristín, Pálsdóttir, Elva Björk, Hannesdóttir, Stefanía Ýr, Karlsson, Þorlákur
• Other Authors: Department of Psychology, Other departments
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Sálfræði; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/4074; https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214221142937

© The Author(s) 2022. No studies are available on the lay knowledge about dementia in Nordic countries. A survey was sent to 829 Icelanders aged 25 to 65 (61.2% female). 60.8% resided in the capital area of Reykjavik. About 90% or more recognized eight of eleven dementia symptoms, with females recognizing them proportionally more often than males. About 50% believed that an individual's risk of developing dementia could be modified. For individual risk factors, agreement ranged from 4% (hearing loss) to 75.1% (history of brain injury). Knowledge about cardiovascular risk factors ranged from 24.8% (obese) to 43.6% (high blood pressure). Participants acknowledged the importance of a healthy diet and an active lifestyle, but only 8% identified a low education level as a risk factor. Public health campaigns and educational efforts about dementia should focus on the whole lifespan targeting all risk and protective factors operating throughout the lifespan. Peer reviewed