Authors: Brina Felc, Zlata Felc, Gregor Deleja.
Objectives: Without information on health literacy of dementia variable risk factors, it is difficult to set a strategy for an education in this field. The purpose of the study was to determine whether adolescents in predominantly rural regions are aware of the dementia variable risk factors and if dementia is discussed in secondary school.
Methods: In a total cohort of 1,128 adolescents (aged 14–19) from secondary schools in Slovenia, four-hundred and sixty-four were educated in predominantly rural Savinjska region. They completed a series of questions that assessed their modifiable dementia risk factors knowledge and where they obtained information on dementia. Descriptive analysis and chi-square test were performed, comparing differences between Savinjska region and all Slovenian regions.
Results: Respondents from predominantly rural area (n = 464) did not differ in their knowledge of dementia and the risk factors for it (p>0.05). Out of 14 dementia knowledge questions and of six modifiable dementia risk factors questions, respondents answered more than two thirds correctly. In contrast is finding that 84.7 % of total respondents and 82.5 % of respondents from Savinjska region wrongly believe that memory impairment with age is normal. However, interesting finding resulted, namely students from the predominantly rural region talked less about dementia in school classes than others (p<0.05).
Conclusions: To reduce the risk of dementia gaps in the adolescent's health literacy must be taken into account. Considering that adolescents are already forming an opinion on modifiable risk factors for the later development of dementia, more effort is needed to embed dementia understanding in the light of its prevention in the secondary school curriculum.
View/Download pdf