Authors: Brina Felc , Vesna Leskošek, Zlata Felc.
By educating non-health related students about dementia too, we can create a generation that is more supportive of people with dementia in the community where they live. The aim of the study was to evaluate knowledge of dementia and attitudes towards people with dementia among Slovenian non-health related students. A total of 1128 students (68.3 % of girls) aged 16.0 years in average (aged between 14 and 19 years) completed the questionnaire. Out of 20 questions and supplementary questions on dementia knowledge, participants were on average able to answer more than fourteen correctly. Respondents differed significantly on three sources. Respondents with relatives with dementia reported higher knowledge, boys reported lower levels of knowledge than girls, and students of secondary technical and vocational school, and of general secondary schools (grammar-school) scored significantly higher on the knowledge questionnaire comparison to students of lower vocational and secondary vocational schools. The results of research provide sources for further research about gender specific educational interventions and active inclusion of students with relatives with dementia in education which could improve general exposure of problem and gaining of knowledge for appropriate treatment.
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