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Awareness of putative risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease among elderly Koreans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2014

Moon Ho Park ,
Sangmee Ahn Jo ,
Inho Jo ,
Eunkyung Kim ,
Eun Kyung Woo ,
Sung-Soo Kim ,
Su-Yong Eun ,
Changsu Han  and
Min Kyu Park
Moon Ho Park
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Korea University Medical College, 516 Gojan-1-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do 425-707, Republic of Korea The Geriatric Health Clinic and Research Institute, Korea University Medical Center, 516 Gojan-1-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do 425-707, Republic of Korea
Sangmee Ahn Jo
Affiliation:
Center for Biomedical Sciences, National Institute of Health, 194 Tongillo, Eunpyung-gu, Seoul 122-701, Republic of Korea
Inho Jo
Affiliation:
Center for Biomedical Sciences, National Institute of Health, 194 Tongillo, Eunpyung-gu, Seoul 122-701, Republic of Korea
Eunkyung Kim
Affiliation:
Center for Biomedical Sciences, National Institute of Health, 194 Tongillo, Eunpyung-gu, Seoul 122-701, Republic of Korea
Eun Kyung Woo
Affiliation:
Center for Biomedical Sciences, National Institute of Health, 194 Tongillo, Eunpyung-gu, Seoul 122-701, Republic of Korea
Sung-Soo Kim
Affiliation:
Center for Biomedical Sciences, National Institute of Health, 194 Tongillo, Eunpyung-gu, Seoul 122-701, Republic of Korea
Su-Yong Eun
Affiliation:
Center for Biomedical Sciences, National Institute of Health, 194 Tongillo, Eunpyung-gu, Seoul 122-701, Republic of Korea
Changsu Han*
Affiliation:
The Geriatric Health Clinic and Research Institute, Korea University Medical Center, 516 Gojan-1-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do 425-707, Republic of Korea Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Medical College, 516 Gojan-1-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do 425-707, Republic of Korea
Min Kyu Park
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Korea University Medical College, 516 Gojan-1-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do 425-707, Republic of Korea The Geriatric Health Clinic and Research Institute, Korea University Medical Center, 516 Gojan-1-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do 425-707, Republic of Korea
*
Changsu Han, Department of Psychiatry, Ansan Hospital, Korea University Medical Center, 516 Gojan-1-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do 425-707, Republic of Korea. Tel: +82-31-412-5600; Fax: +82-31-412-5154; E-mail: hancs@korea.ac.kr
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Abstract

Objective:

Although there are rapidly growing concerns about the high rates of cognitive dysfunction in Korea, the knowledge of risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) among the general public in Korea remains to be elucidated.

Methods:

A total of 2767 randomly selected subjects from the Ansan Geriatric Study were questioned on their knowledge of putative risk factors for AD. Their answers were compared with their sociodemographic data and other variables.

Results:

The most common stated risk factor was being older (59.6%), followed by head trauma (33.6%) and cerebrovascular disease (30.4%). However, a substandard education, which is a known risk factor, was considered significant by only 9.5% of the subjects. Predictors for a worse knowledge of the risk factors for AD were being older, a lower level of education, lower economic status and the attitude that dementia is not curable.

Conclusion:

This study revealed that misunderstanding about AD is more prevalent in older subjects and those with a lower level of education, and so public health education on the basic concepts of AD should be targeted at this population.

Keywords

Alzheimer’s diseaseknowledgeKoreans
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , February 2008 , pp. 20 - 24
Copyright
Copyright © 2007 Blackwell Munksgaard

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