Knowledge and attitudes toward dementia and associated factors among residents in Wuhan, China: a cross-sectional community-based survey during the early implementation period of the National Dementia Action Plan (2024–2030)

Dementia represents a major public health challenge in China, with the National Dementia Action Plan (2024–2030) aimed at improving awareness, facilitating early intervention, and reducing stigma. Despite this, empirical data on public dementia literacy during the early implementation period of the plan remain limited. This cross-sectional study described knowledge and attitudes toward dementia among urban residents in Wuhan, an early site for policy rollout, while identifying sociodemographic, experiential, and campaign-related factors associated with these outcomes. A cross-sectional, community-based survey was conducted in Wuhan, China, in 2025, employing multistage stratified random sampling to recruit 738 community-residing adults aged 18 years and older. Dementia knowledge was assessed using the Dementia Knowledge Scale (DKS; 22 items, scored as total correct responses), and attitudes were evaluated with the Scale of Attitudes toward Dementia (SATD; 4 items). Self-reported data included sociodemographic characteristics, contact with people living with dementia (PLWD), and participation in awareness campaigns (e.g., attending lectures, reading materials, watching videos). The mean DKS score was 15.2 ± 6.5 (68.9% overall correct response rate), and the mean SATD score was 2.4 ± 1.5 (60% overall rate of positive attitudes). Significant knowledge gaps were evident, including uncertainty regarding disease prognosis (56.4%) and modifiable risk factors (36.7%), with only 46.2% correctly rejecting the misconception that healthy habits do not prevent dementia. Fatalistic attitudes persisted, as 25.2% viewed dementia as incurable and 33.2% as rendering old age meaningless, although 80.1% rejected the notion that dementia is a shameful condition. In multivariable analyses, higher knowledge scores were independently associated with female sex, higher education, contact with PLWD, and watching promotional videos (all P < 0.05). Positive attitudes were most strongly associated with higher knowledge scores, followed by video exposure, in multivariable logistic regression. Dementia literacy in Wuhan was moderate but limited by gaps in prevention knowledge and entrenched fatalism. Given the cross-sectional study design, these findings only provide a cross-sectional snapshot and cannot establish causal improvements attributable to policy implementation. The results suggest that a dual-pathway intervention framework—combining scalable video-based education and intergroup contact via dementia-friendly communities—warrants consideration and formal evaluation to enhance China’s national strategy, reduce stigma, and promote risk reduction behaviors.