EVALUATION OF THE LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ALZHEIMER DISEASE IN THE TEKIRDAĞ PROVINCE, TURKEY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Introduction: The prevalence of Alzheimer disease is increasing worldwide with increasing life expectancy. Increasing the level of community knowledge is important for early diagnosis and improving the quality of life of patients and their relatives. This study aimed to examine the level of community knowledge about Alzheimer disease and determine the areas that need to be improved with education. Materials and Method: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was completed with 407 participants aged 18 years and older. Data were collected via Google Surveys using snowball sampling. “Alzheimer´s Disease Knowledge Scale” and “Socio-demographic form” were used to collect data. Results: Women, younger population, health personnel, and those with higher education have more knowledge. On the other hand, there is a lack of knowledge about symptoms and caregiving. Most of the respondents were unaware of the risk factors that may increase susceptibility to the development of Alzheimer disease. While the level of knowledge about Alzheimer disease was higher in individuals who received education earlier, it was observed that living in the same house with an Alzheimer patient did not affect the level of knowledge. Conclusion: There is a need to increase society’s knowledge about the symptoms, risk factors, and caregiving related to Alzheimer disease. Regular training programs to raise public awareness should be planned face-to-face or online by the authorities of the subject, especially researchers, and should be included in health policies. Keywords: Alzheimer Disease; Awareness; Knowledge.