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Dementia knowledge and associated factors among older Chinese adults: a cross-national comparison between Melbourne and Beijing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2021

Mei Zhao Open the ORCID record for Mei Zhao [Opens in a new window] ,
Xiaozhen Lv ,
Xiaoping Lin ,
Emily You ,
Haifeng Zhang ,
Kathryn A. Ellis ,
Xin Yu ,
Huali Wang Open the ORCID record for Huali Wang [Opens in a new window]  and
Nicola T. Lautenschlager
Mei Zhao*
Affiliation:
Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Xiaozhen Lv
Affiliation:
Dementia Care & Research Center, Peking University Institute of Mental Health (Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China Beijing Dementia Key Lab, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Beijing, China
Xiaoping Lin
Affiliation:
Registry Science and Research Unit, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Emily You
Affiliation:
Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Haifeng Zhang
Affiliation:
Dementia Care & Research Center, Peking University Institute of Mental Health (Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China Beijing Dementia Key Lab, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Beijing, China
Kathryn A. Ellis
Affiliation:
Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Xin Yu
Affiliation:
Dementia Care & Research Center, Peking University Institute of Mental Health (Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China Beijing Dementia Key Lab, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Beijing, China
Huali Wang*
Affiliation:
Dementia Care & Research Center, Peking University Institute of Mental Health (Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China Beijing Dementia Key Lab, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Beijing, China
Nicola T. Lautenschlager
Affiliation:
Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia NorthWestern Health, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Prof. Huali Wang, Dementia Care & Research Center, Peking University Institute of Mental Health (Sixth Hospital), No.51 Huayuanbei Road, Beijing100191, China. E-mail: huali_wang@bjmu.edu.cn or Mei Zhao, Department of Psychiatry, the University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, VIC, Australia. E-mail: meiz1@student.unimelb.edu.au.
Correspondence should be addressed to: Prof. Huali Wang, Dementia Care & Research Center, Peking University Institute of Mental Health (Sixth Hospital), No.51 Huayuanbei Road, Beijing100191, China. E-mail: huali_wang@bjmu.edu.cn or Mei Zhao, Department of Psychiatry, the University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, VIC, Australia. E-mail: meiz1@student.unimelb.edu.au.
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Abstract

Objectives:

This study compared dementia knowledge between older Chinese adults in Melbourne, Australia, and Beijing, China, and explored factors associated with dementia knowledge between these two groups. Ultimately, this study aimed to inform the development of tailored dementia education programs for older Chinese adults.

Design:

A cross-sectional design was employed in this study.

Setting:

Participants were recruited from 5 Chinese community senior groups in Melbourne and 10 community health centers in Beijing from March to May 2019.

Participants:

A total of 379 older Chinese adults aged 50 and over completed the questionnaire, including 153 from Melbourne and 226 from Beijing.

Measurements:

Dementia knowledge was assessed using the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS). Demographic characteristics, dementia-related experience, and the mental health status of participants were collected. Stepwise linear regression was used to analyze the factors associated with dementia knowledge.

Results:

In general, older Chinese adults in Melbourne and Beijing reported similar levels of dementia knowledge for both the overall ADKS scale (mean ± SD: 17.2 ± 2.9 in Melbourne vs. 17.5 ± 2.9 in Beijing, p > 0.05) and the seven subdomains. Of the subdomains, the highest correct response rates were observed in the life impact of the dementia subdomain, and the lowest rates were observed in the caregiving subdomain. Stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that younger age and self-reported dementia worry were significantly associated with higher levels of dementia knowledge in the Melbourne group, whereas a positive family history of dementia was significantly associated with higher levels of dementia knowledge in the Beijing group.

Conclusions:

Older Chinese adults living in Melbourne and Beijing share similar levels of dementia knowledge, but factors associated with their knowledge are different. These findings will inform the development of culturally and socially appropriate dementia education programs for older Chinese populations in different countries.

Keywords

older adultsdementiaknowledgecross-national comparison
Type
Original Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 33 , Special Issue 10: Issue Theme: Non-cognitive Concerns in People with Dementia , October 2021 , pp. 1057 - 1067
Copyright
© International Psychogeriatric Association 2021

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Footnotes

Senior author: Prof. Nicola T. Lautenschlager, Department of Psychiatry, the University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, VIC, Australia, Email: nicolatl@unimelb.edu.au

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