A Study to Assess the Knowledge regarding Alzheimer's Disease among people above 45 years of age in selected areas at kollam

 

Jismi Jigu1, Jitty Jose1, Leema Thomas1, Shinu Sherry1, Vincy Varghese1, Sheeja S2

1Nursing Students of Bishop Benziger College of Nursing, Kollam.

2Associate Professor, HOD, Department of Community Health Nursing,

Bishop Benziger College of Nursing, Kollam.

*Corresponding Author Email:

 

ABSTRACT:

The research project undertook was “study to assess the knowledge regarding Alzheimer’s disease among people above 45 years of age in selected areas at Kollam”. The objectives of the study were to assess the knowledge regarding Alzheimer’s disease among people above 45 years of age selected areas at Kollam, to find out the association between knowledge regarding Alzheimer’s disease among people above 45 years of age and selected demographic variables such as age, sex, educational qualification, occupation economic status, nutritional status. Non experimental survey design was adopted for this study. The study was conducted among 60 people above 45 years of age in selected areas at kollam. In order to assess the knowledge regarding alzhemiers disease, the study sample was selected by non-probability convenient sampling technique. The tool used for the data collection consisted of demographic performa and structured questionnaire, basic information of the study was given to subjects. The analysis of the data was based on objectives of the study using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed that there was no significant association between knowledge and demographic variables like age, sex, educational qualification, occupation, economic status, Nutritional status. Based on the findings investigator has drawn implications which were of vital concerns in the field of nursing practice, nursing administration, nursing pattern, nursing education for the future development.

 

KEYWORDS: Assess, Structured questionnaire, Alzheimer’s disease, People above 45 years of age.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Alzheimer’s disease may be a common neurological condition, appearing as early as age 40 but increasing dramatically in incidence over age 85. Different genetic factors are at play, modified by events over a lifetime. Alzheimer's disease is one of the debilitating chronic diseases among older persons. It is an irreversible condition that leads to progressive deterioration of cognitive, intellectual, physical, and psychosocial functions. The nervous system is the master controlling and communicating system of the body.1

 

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other sorts of dementia are a growing public pathological state among the elderly in developing countries, whose aging population is increasing rapidly. It estimated that by the year 2020, approximately 70% of the world’s population aged 60 and above are living in developing countries, with 14.2% in India. The estimates of rate at which new disease develops can only be measured accurately in prospective incidence studies. The reported incidence rates for AD has been lower in Asian countries than within the industrialized world. Although dementia prevalence studies are available from Asian countries including India, there's a lack of incidence, data, particularly from prospective long-term studies. we've previously reported the age-adjusted prevalence of dementia including AD to be 4.86% (AD 1.91%) in a very community residing population in an exceedingly southern Indian province of Kerala, as an element of the cognition in older adults in Trivandrum (COAT) study. This study reports the incidence rates after a ten years follow-up of the COAT cohort2. Keeping above the facts in view, the researcher is keen to assess the knowledge of adults regarding Alzheimer’s disease so that the knowledge gaps can be filled up by educating the public and increasing the awareness about Alzheimer’s and to accept an individual who is suffering from Alzheimer’s as an important member of the society. Therefore this study was adopted to spot the knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease among people above 45 years so adequate measures is adopted at the earliest to cut back the incidence.

 

REVIEW OF LITERATURE:

1.     Literature related to Alzheimer’s disease:

A Cross-Sectional Study was conducted on September 2018 to assess the risk factors of Caregiver Burden Among Patients with Alzheimer's Disease or Related Disorders. The study population is 548 patient of 65 years in University Hospital of Lyon having progressive cognitive complaint. The caregiver burden was measured with the short version of the Zaria Burden Interview (ZBI). The relationship was assessed between the ZBI and the patients characteristics, including Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale (IADL), the Mini-Mental State Examination, etiology, and stage of the cognitive impairment. The study result showed that In a population of 548 patients, IADL, NPI, antidepressant drugs, and MMSE were found to be related to ZBI, while diagnosed etiology and disease stage were not significant: ZBI decreased by 0.34 point for every unit of IADL, and by 0.03 point for every unit of MMSE; ZBI increased by 0.03 point for every unit of NPI. From the IADL scale, the ability to handle finances, food preparation, responsibility to take medications, mode of transportation, and ability to use the telephone increased the ZBI. Five areas of the NPI increased the ZBI: apathy, agitation, aberrant motor behaviour, appetite disorders (p < 0.001), and irritability (p = 0.03). The study concluded that Caregivers experience a higher burden due to disease symptoms such as impairment of functional autonomy and behavioural and cognitive impairment, whatever the etiology of the cognitive decline.3

 

2.     Literature Related To Knowledge regarding Alzheimer’s disease:

A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess Knowledge on Alzheimer’s among Public Hospitals and Health Clinics Pharmacists within the State of Selangor, Malaysia between September and November 2016. The survey was distributed via two approaches (i) employing a web-based questionnaire and (ii) manual distribution of textual matter of the survey. Of the full 775 pharmacists, 445 capable the survey, giving a response rate of 57.4%. The respondents were mainly female (83.4%). ½ the respondents were Malay (53.5%), followed by Chinese (35.5%), Indian (10.3%), and other ethnicities (0.7%). The mean age of the respondents was 28.94±3.37 years old. The bulk of the respondents had Bachelor degree (92.8%) and also the reminders were Master holders. Most of them have working experience of 4–7 years (42.2%) and only 2.2% of the respondents have worked for 12–14 years. The respondents were mainly from outpatient pharmacy (57.1%), followed by inpatients pharmacy (12.1%). Only 1.6% was from the parenteral nutrition. The study concluded that there have been no difference in AD knowledge was noted among the pharmacists working publically hospitals and health clinics except within the care giving domain. AD-specific education training would have benefited these pharmacists in providing better care to AD patients.4

 

3.   Literature Related to Attitude toward Alzheimer’s disease:

A cross sectional study was conducted with the aim to assess the attitudes in Alzheimer’s disease in an exceedingly cohort of older African Americans and Caucasians. They administered the Alzheimer’s disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) to 67 older African Americans and 140 older Caucasians. The study result found that Older African Americans scored slightly lower on ADKS than older Caucasians, with race only accounting for 1.57 (95% CI 0.57–2.61, p < 0.001) points of difference in an exceedingly multivariate model.  The study concluded that, Attitudes towards Alzheimer’s disease were also similar between the 2 groups, but one in three (35.7%) adults reported control over general health but not Alzheimer’s disease risks.5

 

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

·       In the present study the researchers adopted quantitative approach.

·       Non experimental survey design was used in this study to assess the knowledge regarding Alzheimer’s disease of people above 45 years of age.

·       Non - Probability convenient sampling technique was used in this study.

·       The sample consisted of 60 people above 45 years of  age.

 

RESULTS:

Section 1 Description of demographic variables:

This section deals with the demographic variables. This variables includes age, sex, educational qualification, occupation, economic status, nutritional status.

 

Section 2: Description of knowledge regarding Alzheimer’s disease among people above age of 45 years using descriptive statistics.

 

Table 1: Frequency and percentage distribution of pretest score on knowledge regarding Alzheimer’s disease. (N=60)

Score

Score range

Frequency

Percentage

0-10

Inadequate knowledge

18

30%

11-15

Moderate knowledge

28

47%

 

In this present study out of 60 samples, 30%had inadequate knowledge, 47% had moderate knowledge and 23% had adequate knowledge regarding Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Section 3: Find out the association between pretest knowledge regarding Alzheimer’s disease among people above 45 years of age and selected demographic variables.

 

Table 2: Association between knowledge and selected demographic variables.                                                                          (N=60)

Sl. No

Variables

Knowledge

df

chi

Significant

 

Inadequate

Moderate

Adequate

1

Age in years

45-55 years

4

12

9

56-65years

7

7

4

4

7.14

NS

Above65 years

7

9

1

2

Sex

Male

10

14

11

Female

8

14

3

4

3.2

NS

Others

0

0

0

3

Educational

Qualification

Up to SSLC

5

6

2

Higher Secondary

7

10

2

4

5.05

NS

Others

6

12

10

4

Occupation

Government Employee

2

4

4

Private Employee

8

12

5

4

1.9

NS

Others

8

12

5

5

Economic status

<10000

5

10

5

10000-20000

9

11

6

4

0.6

NS

>20000

4

7

3

6

Nutritional status

Vegetarian

5

4

3

Non vegetarian

8

14

5

4

1.96

NS

Both

5

10

6

*NS- Not significant                                                                                                                                     *S-Significant

 

There was no association between knowledge regarding alzheimer's disease of people above 45 years of age and demographic variables including age, sex, educational qualification, occupation, economic status, nutritional status.

 

DISCUSSION:

The present study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge regarding Alzheimer’s disease in among people above 40 in Kerala. In order to achieve the objective of the study non experimental survey design was adopted. Subject were selected by non –probability convenient sampling. The sample consisted of 60 people above age of 45 years. The finding of the study had been discussed in relation to objectives and other similar studies.

 

CONCLUSION:

The present study was aimed to assess the knowledge regarding Alzheimer’s disease among people above age of 45 years in selected areas at Kollam. A structured questionnaire regarding Alzheimer’s disease was given to 60 people above age of 45 years for the pre test. The study result showed that there was significant knowledge regarding Alzheimer’s disease among people.

 

RECOMMENDATION:

Based on the result of the present study, the following recommended as or offered.

 

A better study can be undertaken with the large number of sample for the better generalization of the findings

 

A better can be conducted using other strategies self-instructional module, planned teaching programme etc.

 

REFERENCE:

1.      Annie M Linton, Textbook Of Alzheimer’s disease and other Dementia 4th Edition, USA ,American Psychiatric Publishers, 2017.p 2320

2.      IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science ( IOSR-JNHS), Volume 6, Issue 4, pp 31-35

3.      Available From :https://pudmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25374109

4.      Available From :https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5662870

5.      Available From :https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4867248

 

 

 

 

Received on 29.08.2021             Modified on 17.10.2021

Accepted on 20.11.2021        ©A&V Publications All right reserved

Asian J. Nursing Education and Research. 2022; 12(2):224-226.

DOI: 10.52711/2349-2996.2022.00045