Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward Alzheimer’s disease prevention among middle-aged and elderly individuals: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: To examine the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevention among middle-aged and elderly individuals in the community. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled middle-aged and elderly individuals in the community who visited Kaifeng Central Hospital (China) between November 2023 and December 2023. Demographic characteristics and KAP scores were collected using an investigator-designed questionnaire. Higher scores indicate better KAP. The factors influencing KAP were identified using multivariable logistic regression analyses. The relationships among KAP dimensions were tested using a structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1271 questionnaires were finally collected (mean age: 54.40 ± 7.45 years old; 62.71% males). The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 13.02 ± 5.26 (possible range: 0-26), 38.70 ± 4.42 (possible range: 10-50), and 25.62 ± 3.93 (possible range: 11-55), respectively, indicating poor knowledge, favorable attitude, and poor practice. The SEM analysis showed that knowledge had a positive effect on attitude (β = 0.625, P < 0.001) and practice (β = 0.605, P < 0.001), and attitude positively influenced practice (β = 0.598, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Middle-aged and elderly individuals displayed poor knowledge, favorable attitudes, and poor practices toward AD prevention. Improving knowledge and attitude should translate into better AD prevention practices.