Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany.
PLoS One. 2023 Apr 24;18(4):e0272896. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272896. eCollection 2023.
Early detection of dementia provides numerous benefits for those living with dementia and their relatives and healthcare systems at large. Methods available for early diagnosis have improved significantly over the past years. Therefore, we examined whether support for offering an early diagnosis of dementia and willingness to pursue a respective early diagnosis have changed in Germany over the last decade.
We compared findings from two representative telephone surveys conducted among older adults in Germany (≥ 60 years of age) in 2011 and 2022, assessing support for offering an early diagnosis of dementia and willingness to pursue a respective early diagnosis in a sample of n = 879 individuals (mean age: 72.9, range: 60-98 years, % female: 58.8). Group comparisons using Chi2- and t-tests and multivariable regression analyses were conducted, regressing support of an early diagnosis of dementia and willingness to pursue a respective early diagnosis on age, gender, education, employment status, belief in preventability of dementia and time of survey.
Support for offering an early diagnosis of dementia was high both in 2011 (90.7%) and 2022 (79.2%), but declined over time (OR: .39; 95% CI: .25; .63). Willingness to pursue an early diagnosis of dementia declined from 70.7% to 60.1% in the same period (OR: .62; 95% CI: .45; .86). Belief in preventability of dementia was linked to support for offering an early diagnosis (OR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.25; 2.83) and willingness to pursue an early diagnosis of dementia (OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.12; 2.07). Older participants less often supported offering an early diagnosis of dementia (OR: .97, 95% CI: .95; .99).
Support for offering an early diagnosis of dementia and willingness to pursue a respective diagnosis is high in the older German public, but lower than reported previously. Improving knowledge on modifiable risk factors and better understanding of individual motives underlying endorsement or refusal of an early diagnosis may increase acceptance in the general public.
痴呆症的早期检测为患者及其亲属和整个医疗体系带来了诸多益处。近年来，可供早期诊断的方法有了显著的改善。因此，我们研究了过去十年中德国对痴呆症早期诊断的支持程度和寻求早期诊断的意愿是否发生了变化。
我们比较了 2011 年和 2022 年在德国进行的两项代表性电话调查中老年人（≥60 岁）的调查结果，评估了在 n=879 名个体（平均年龄：72.9 岁，范围：60-98 岁，女性占 58.8%）中提供痴呆症早期诊断的支持程度和愿意接受相应的早期诊断的意愿。使用卡方检验和 t 检验和多变量回归分析进行组间比较，将对早期诊断痴呆症的支持程度和愿意接受相应早期诊断的意愿回归为年龄、性别、教育程度、就业状况、对痴呆症可预防的信念和调查时间。
在 2011 年（90.7%）和 2022 年（79.2%），对提供痴呆症早期诊断的支持程度都很高，但随着时间的推移而下降（OR：0.39；95%CI：0.25；0.63）。在同一时期，愿意接受痴呆症早期诊断的意愿从 70.7%下降到 60.1%（OR：0.62；95%CI：0.45；0.86）。对痴呆症可预防的信念与提供早期诊断的支持程度（OR：1.88，95%CI：1.25；2.83）和愿意接受痴呆症早期诊断的意愿（OR：1.52；95%CI：1.12；2.07）有关。年龄较大的参与者不太支持提供痴呆症的早期诊断（OR：0.97，95%CI：0.95；0.99）。
在德国的老年人中，对提供痴呆症早期诊断的支持程度和愿意接受相应诊断的意愿较高，但低于之前的报道。提高对可改变的风险因素的认识，并更好地理解支持或拒绝早期诊断的个人动机，可能会增加公众的接受度。
