BACKGROUND: While negative attitudes towards dementia are well documented, there is a lack of understanding of the factors that influence these attitudes. This study examines whether demographic factors, wisdom, and attitudes towards aging are associated with dementia attitudes. METHODS: This study used an online, quantitative, and cross-sectional survey design to explore factors that are correlated with attitudes towards dementia in the United Kingdom. The survey includes questions on demographic information, the Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS), Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale-12 Items (3D-WS-12), and the Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire (AAQ). RESULTS: Being a professional in dementia care, wisdom, and positive attitudes to aging were significantly correlated with more positive attitudes toward dementia. Older age was correlated with more negative dementia attitudes. Females were found to have significantly more positive dementia attitudes compared to males. Among all subscales in AAQ and wisdom, greater psychosocial growth and affective wisdom are strongly associated with more positive attitudes toward people with dementia. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that age, gender, experience, attitudes toward aging, and wisdom were related to attitudes toward dementia. This evidence could serve as a guide of practical implications in stigma-reduction campaigns, dementia education, and policy reform.
Mirani et al. (Tue,) studied this question.