Pham Dung Thi My, Do An Dang, Do Hien Thi Thu, Nguyen Anh Ngoc, Nguyen Binh Thanh, Do Mai
Hanoi Medical College, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Department of Community and Global Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Psychogeriatrics. 2025 Mar;25(2):e70003. doi: 10.1111/psyg.70003.
Dementia is one of the most pressing health concerns among the ageing population, imposing significant health, financial and caregiving burdens on people with dementia (PWD), their families and caregivers. Building the capacity of nursing students is essential for effectively improving quality of life for affected people. This study aimed to assess nursing students' knowledge and attitudes toward dementia and its associated factors.
A cross-sectional study was conducted in four medical schools educating 3-year and 4-year diploma nursing students in northern, central and southern Vietnam, who were selected based on convenience. Six hundred full-time diploma senior nursing students were recruited for the survey. A self-administered questionnaire consisted of 34 true-false questions evaluating students' knowledge about dementia (Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale) and 20 items using a five-point Likert scale assessing their attitudes toward dementia (Dementia Attitudes Scale) was used. The tools were validated with 60 students and showed good internal reliability.
Senior nursing students exhibited insufficient knowledge of dementia (mean score of 20.82 ± 2.96 out of 34) but demonstrated positive attitudes toward dementia care (mean score of 65.54 ± 8.25 out of 90). Engaging in a 4-year diploma program (β = 0.501), being female (β = 0.827), and achieving greater academic performance (β = 0.795) were positively associated with increased knowledge of dementia (P < 0.05). Being female (β = 2.179) and possessing better knowledge of dementia (β = 2.740) also positively affected nursing students' attitudes toward dementia (P < 0.05).
The study is the first to shed light on the gaps in dementia knowledge among senior nursing students in Vietnam. It also provides a comparison in dementia knowledge and attitudes between students enrolling in 3-year versus 4-year nursing diploma programs. Educational strategies are needed to not only equip students with adequate knowledge and reinforced positive attitudes toward dementia, but to strengthen nursing graduates' knowledge and attititudes of dementia to better their capacity in ageing and dementia care.
The findings highlighted the need to enhance training programs to meet the growing demand for dementia care. Additional post-graduation training activities are also recommended to increase competencies of nurses in caring for PWD.
痴呆症是老年人群中最紧迫的健康问题之一，给痴呆症患者（PWD）及其家庭和护理人员带来了巨大的健康、经济和护理负担。培养护理专业学生的能力对于有效提高患者生活质量至关重要。本研究旨在评估护理专业学生对痴呆症的知识和态度及其相关因素。
在越南北部、中部和南部的四所医学院校开展了一项横断面研究，这些院校培养3年制和4年制护理专业文凭学生，学生基于便利原则选取。招募了600名全日制护理专业高年级文凭学生参与调查。使用一份自填式问卷，其中包括34道是非题，用于评估学生对痴呆症的知识（阿尔茨海默病知识量表），以及20个项目，采用五点李克特量表评估他们对痴呆症的态度（痴呆症态度量表）。这些工具在60名学生中进行了验证，显示出良好的内部信度。
护理专业高年级学生对痴呆症的知识掌握不足（34分中平均得分为(20.82\pm2.96)），但对痴呆症护理表现出积极态度（90分中平均得分为(65.54\pm8.25)）。参加4年制文凭课程（β = 0.501）、女性（β = 0.827）以及学业成绩较好（β = 0.795）与痴呆症知识增加呈正相关（P < 0.05）。女性（β = 2.179）以及对痴呆症有更好的了解（β = 2.740）也对护理专业学生对痴呆症的态度产生积极影响（P < 0.05）。
本研究首次揭示了越南护理专业高年级学生在痴呆症知识方面的差距。它还对参加3年制与4年制护理文凭课程的学生在痴呆症知识和态度方面进行了比较。需要制定教育策略，不仅要让学生具备足够的知识并强化对痴呆症的积极态度，还要加强护理专业毕业生对痴呆症的知识和态度，以提高他们在老年护理和痴呆症护理方面的能力。
研究结果凸显了加强培训项目以满足对痴呆症护理不断增长的需求的必要性。还建议开展额外的毕业后培训活动，以提高护士照顾痴呆症患者的能力。
