Dementia-Related Knowledge, Experiences and Perceptions of Dementia among Adolescents in Slovenia

Objectives: Without information about how adolescents perceive dementia, and what their dementia related experiences are, it is hard to raise awareness of dementia and positive attitudes towards people with dementia in adolescents. Aim: To evaluate dementia-related knowledge with a focus on comparison between adolescents with and those without relatives with dementia and their perception and experiences of relatives with dementia to provide basic data for educating about knowledge of dementia and strengthening positive attitudes towards dementia. Methods: 1128 students (aged 14 -19) from non-health related secondary schools in Slovenia completed the dementia-related knowledge survey. In subsample of 335 students with relatives with dementia we explored their experiences of dementia in relatives. Results: Out of 20 questions and supplementary questions on dementia knowledge, participants were on average able to answer 71.5% correctly (M = 14.30; SD = 2.56). Respondents with relatives with dementia reported higher knowledge (M = 14.67; SD = 2.44, p<0.05), boys reported lower levels of knowledge than girls (p<0.05), and students of secondary technical and vocational school, and of general secondary schools (grammar-school) scored significantly higher on the knowledge questionnaire in comparison to students of lower vocational and secondary vocational schools (p<0.05). We also identified that in subsample of 335 adolescents with a relative with dementia a sadness and fear prewail in their attitudes towards dementia (e.g. 55% of all responses). Conclusions: Considering that adolescents are already forming negative attitudes and misconceptions of dementia, it is important that we raise awareness about dementia in this age.