Knowledge, attitude, and practice related to dementia and cognitive impairment among medical specialists with expertise unrelated to dementia

To explore the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) on dementia and cognitive impairment among medical specialists with expertise unrelated to dementia. This study enrolled medical specialists with expertise unrelated to dementia from 318 medical institutions in China, between March and April 2023. A self-designed questionnaire was used for data collection and KAP assessment. A total of 1288 valid questionnaires were collected, 62.58% from female participants. The KAP scores were 11.02 ± 2.11 (range: 0-13), 22.16 ± 3.40 (range: 0-24), and 29.48 ± 6.92 (range: 0-32), respectively. The structural equation model showed that knowledge was positively associated with attitude (path coefficient = 0.503, P < 0.001), while both knowledge (path coefficient = 0.713, P < 0.001) and attitude (path coefficient = 0.797, P < 0.001) were positively associated with practice. Type of institution (path coefficient = 0.184, P = 0.035) and professional title (path coefficient = 0.133, P = 0.026) were positively associated with knowledge score. The mediation analysis revealed the significant total effects for professional title on knowledge, knowledge and professional title on attitude, and knowledge, attitude, and education on practice. Medical specialists in China with expertise unrelated to dementia might have good knowledge, a positive attitude, and proactive practice toward dementia and cognitive impairment. Tailored educational interventions should be specifically designed for individuals with lower professional titles and those working outside public tertiary hospitals.