Expanding the health belief model on dementia knowledge, fear, and preventive behaviors among older adults in Korea: a cross-sectional descriptive study

Purpose: This study aimed to expand the health belief model by incorporating dementia knowledge and fear and to assess the effects of these variables on dementia prevention behaviors among older adults. Methods: In total, 199 elderly individuals from 10 senior centers in Korea completed a structured questionnaire assessing characteristics, dementia knowledge, fear, health beliefs, and prevention behaviors. Measures included the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale, the Korean version of the Fear of Alzheimer’s Disease Scale, and the Korean version of the Motivation to Change Lifestyle and Health Behavior for Dementia. Hierarchical polynomial regression was conducted to examine the impact of integrating dementia knowledge and fear into the health belief model. Results: Hierarchical polynomial regression across four models revealed significant effects of various factors on dementia prevention behaviors, explaining 12%–36% of the variance. Perceived barriers significantly decreased dementia prevention behaviors, while higher levels of self-efficacy and cues to action had a positive influence. Additionally, a nonlinear relationship was identified between dementia knowledge and prevention behaviors, with the positive impacts of increased knowledge potentially diminishing beyond a certain point. Conclusion: Our findings underscore the necessity of modifying the health belief model to integrate dementia knowledge and fear, which play critical roles in shaping preventive behaviors among older adults. Future investigations should examine the optimal level of dementia knowledge to promote these behaviors and elucidate the intricate relationship between knowledge and actions.