A survey to understand public attitudes towards Dementia in Luxembourg
Alzheimer's disease, a generic term often used for all forms of dementia by the general public, is one of the most dreaded diseases. In Luxembourg, as in most European countries where the population is aging, the fear that the number of people with dementia will increase is real. In order to foresee and deal with this future situation, many countries including Luxembourg have adopted specific action programs.
However, the success of these interventions critically depends on people’s affective and cognitive responses to being confronted with dementia. Thus, in order to orientate and evaluate dementia-related practices, it is necessary to have a better understanding of what people really know and think about dementia.
One survey, 3 languages to better understand our attitudes
The KADeLu (Public knowledge and Attitudes towards Dementia in Luxembourg) study led by Anna Kornadt and her colleague Isabelle Tournier aims at having a better comprehension of the knowledge and attitudes about dementia within the general public in Luxembourg. To grasp these dimensions, the researchers developed a questionnaire focusing on people aged 18 years and over living and/or working in Luxembourg. Data collection is based on an online study available in English, French and German as well as a paper-pencil version that will also be accessible in French and German. Through this questionnaire, the researchers hope to better understand the fear of dementia but also the perceived facilitators to receive an early diagnosis.
The results of the questionnaire will offer a clearer understanding of how several aspects of dementia attitudes are linked together. It will also indicate how to positively influence knowledge about dementia and early diagnosis without provoking excessive and counterproductive fear about it. Finally, it will provide valuable and unprecedented insights to orientate and evaluate dementia-related national actions in Luxembourg.
The online questionnaire is available at www.soscisurvey.de/dementia.