Dementia worry (DW) is anxious rumination about personal risk for dementia. Personal experience with dementia may affect DW, such that individuals with personal experience with dementia may have higher worry about developing dementia themselves. Further, dementia knowledge (DK), including what may increase one’s dementia risk as well as treatment options for dementias, may be influenced by one’s dementia experience. Prior studies have suggested that personal experience alters the relationship of age to DW; no prior studies have examined this for DK. In the present study, we examined whether DW and/or DK were differentially related to age in older adults.

Adults (≥ 50 years old; N=252) in Ohio and Louisiana completed an online survey. 94 participants reported no personal dementia experiences, and 158 participants endorsed having a biological relative with dementia. The sample ranged in age from 23 to 92 (M=65, SD=9.3), with 96% identifying as White and 76% holding advanced degrees. DW was measured with the Dementia Worry Scale. Dementia knowledge was measured with true or false questions about causes and treatments for dementia.

Groups did not differ in age (p=.73), education (p=.50), or perceived SES (p=.28), but did differ in gender (p=.06). The experience group had higher dementia knowledge (p=.02). In those with biological dementia experience, lower age was related to higher dementia worry (r=-.24, p=.003) and greater dementia knowledge (r=-.18, p=.03). However, in those with no experience, age was not related to either dementia worry (r=.04) or to dementia knowledge (r=.16). Dementia worry did not relate to dementia knowledge in either group (no experience r=.03, experience r=.13).

Findings suggest that younger individuals who have personal experience with dementia are highly worried about personal risk for dementia, despite having higher knowledge of dementia. Further, these results demonstrate that dementia knowledge is not related to dementia worry in older individuals with or without biological dementia experience. Findings may be important for informing dementia prevention education efforts.