Public knowledge about Alzheimer disease in Mecca Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Background Raising the general population knowledge of Alzheimer's disease is crucial for optimizing care and ultimately enhancing the quality of life of people diagnosed and their caregivers. Aim To assess knowledge among the general population in Makkah Region about symptoms, diagnosis, causes, course, life impact, care giving, and management of Alzheimer disease. Material and methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during July to August 2018 in three main cities of Makkah Region, i.e., Makkah, Jeddah, and Taif, Saudi Arabia. Two to three mosques and/or malls were selected randomly from a list of all mosques and malls in each city, and then every fifth subject was selected using a systematic random technique, entering the mall or getting out from the mosques. Both genders, aged 18 years or more and able to understand Arabic were included. Valid and reliable Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) was used to assess knowledge about the diseases, in addition to socio-demographic characteristics of the participants. Results The study included 862 adult participants. Their age ranged between 18 and 65 years with a mean +/- standard deviation (SD) of 31.2 +/- 10.3 years. History of having a relative with Alzheimer's disease was mentioned by 20.8% of the participants. Overall, the percentage of total Alzheimer's disease knowledge score ranged between 26.7 and 100% with a mean of 58.5%, median of 60%, mode of 56.7%, and standard deviation of +/- 11.5%. There was a significant positive correlation between participant's age and their knowledge regarding Alzheimer's disease (Spearman's correlation coefficient "r" = 0.099,p= 0.004). The highest known subscale of Alzheimer's disease was assessment (mean percentage was 62.21%), followed by treatment (62.09), care giving (61.83%) and course of the disease (60.99%) whereas the lowest known subscale was symptoms (53.25%). Participants who reported a history of having a relative with Alzheimer's disease were more knowledgeable regarding symptoms than those who did not had such history (mean ranks were 470.48 and 421.28, respectively),p= 0.014. Conclusion Knowledge of the general population in Makkah Region is deficient, particularly regarding symptoms, risk factors and life impacts. Therefore, health education campaigns are required for general public in this regards.