Knowledge of dementia and dementia care in a cross-sectional sample of individuals living in rural and urban areas in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Author:

Mfene Xoli Precious1ORCID,Pillay Basil Joseph2ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Psychology, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

2. Department of Behavioural Medicine, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Knowledge of dementia is considered one of the facilitators of dementia risk reduction because it has been linked to early detection, diagnosis, and help-seeking in people with dementia. This study explored knowledge of dementia symptoms, causes, and care in a community sample of individuals living in rural and urban areas in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A cross-sectional household study of 300 participants, ⩾ 18 years old, using semi-structured individual interviews was conducted. Of the 300 participants, 94% recognised the presence of the cognitive decline symptoms, and 12.4% identified the symptoms as dementia. Participants emphasised biological and medical risk factors over socio-cultural factors. Although the participants primarily adopted a biomedical understanding of dementia, with a small number acknowledging a traditional understanding, they preferred a multi-disciplinary approach to care. Participants advocated for a multidisciplinary care approach that included medical, family, social work, mental health services, and spiritual and traditional care for people with dementia and their families. Therefore, policy and care services for African people with dementia and their families need to holistically integrate multiple care approaches. This will maximise the benefit of public health interventions while also building capacity in our understaffed and burdened healthcare systems.

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Subject

General Psychology

Reference32 articles.

1. Alzheimer’s Disease International. (2015). World Alzheimer report 2015: The global impact of dementia: An analysis of prevalence, incidence, cost and trends. https://www.alzint.org/resource/world-alzheimer-report-2015/

2. Alzheimer Europe. (2018). The development of intercultural care and support for people with dementia from minority ethnic groups. https://www.alzheimer-europe.org/Publications/Alzheimer-Europe-Reports

3. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

4. Black African and Caribbean British Communities’ Perceptions of Memory Problems: “We Don’t Do Dementia.”

5. Lay Interpretation of Dementia

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3