Roberts J Scott, McLaughlin Sara J, Connell Cathleen M
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Department of Sociology & Gerontology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
Alzheimers Dement. 2014 Oct;10(5 Suppl):S381-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2013.07.001. Epub 2014 Mar 14.
The purpose of this study was to assess public beliefs and knowledge about risk and protective factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD).
A brief survey module was added to the Health and Retirement Study, a longstanding national panel study of the U.S. population over the age of 50.
Respondents were 1641 adults (mean age=64.4 years, 53.6% female, 81.7% White). Most (60.1%) indicated interest in learning their AD risk, with 29.4% expressing active worry. Many failed to recognize that medications to prevent AD are not available (39.1%) or that having an affected first-degree relative is associated with increased disease risk (32%). Many respondents believed that various actions (e.g., mental activity, eating a healthy diet) would be effective in reducing AD risk.
Older and middle-aged adults are interested in their AD risk status and believe that steps can be taken to reduce disease risk. Tailored education efforts are needed to address potential misconceptions about risk and protective factors.
本研究旨在评估公众对阿尔茨海默病（AD）风险及保护因素的看法和了解。
在《健康与退休研究》中增加了一个简短的调查模块，该研究是一项针对美国50岁以上人群的长期全国性面板研究。
受访者为1641名成年人（平均年龄=64.4岁，53.6%为女性，81.7%为白人）。大多数人（60.1%）表示有兴趣了解自己患AD的风险，29.4%表示积极担忧。许多人没有认识到尚无预防AD的药物（39.1%），也没有认识到有一位患病的一级亲属会增加患病风险（32%）。许多受访者认为各种行为（如脑力活动、健康饮食）能有效降低AD风险。
中老年成年人对自己的AD风险状况感兴趣，并认为可以采取措施降低患病风险。需要开展有针对性的教育工作，以消除对风险和保护因素的潜在误解。
