Background: Dementia is a condition that appears in elder individuals; it is characterized by a decline in functional, behavioral, and cognitive performance, which interfere with the daily functions of the patient and his independence. Dementia has medical and social impacts on patients, and it also affects his family and individuals around him. This study aims to investigate the knowledge and attitude as well as associated factors of the general population about dementia.
Methodology: This study was conducted on the general population using an online survey. The study was conducted between the periods from May 2019 to August 2019. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS program version 21.
Results: The study included 400 participants; 32.5% of the participants knew about dementia, whereas 67.5% had no or few knowledge. There were only 18% of the participants who thought that caring for someone with dementia could be very rewarding, 47.5% of the participants felt that dementia patients could live alone in early stage, while in late-stage, there were 75% individuals who thought that patients could be managed by medication. Each gender, age, and education level affected the level of knowledge (P=0.01, 0.04, 0.02, respectively).
Conclusion: There was a lack of knowledge among the general population about dementia, and they had a negative attitude toward it. Gender, age, and education level were factors that had an impact on the level of knowledge.
Key words: Dementia, knowledge, attitude, factors
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