Alzheimer's disease knowledge among American Indians and Alaska Natives

Introduction The population of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) aged 65 and older is growing rapidly, raising concerns about Alzheimer's disease (AD) in their communities. Methods We distributed a survey incorporating the Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale to 341 AI/AN community members attending cultural events. We computed average adjusted predictions and 95% confidence intervals from a linear regression model, used joint F tests to examine differences in scores according to demographic variables, calculated the percentage of correct items for each participant, and computed domain-specific averages across the sample. Results The average score was 19.0 (maximum 30); the average percentage of correct responses was 63%. Higher scores were associated with education but not with age, sex, or rural versus urban residence. Low scores were observed for items on caregiving and disease risk. Discussion Participants were moderately well informed about AD, but specific knowledge domains call for community outreach and education.