Knowledge of dementia among South Asian (Indian) older people in Manchester, UK.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine knowledge of dementia in South Asian older people, as compared with Caucasian older people.


METHODS
Attendees, not known to suffer from dementia, of one South Asian and two predominantly Caucasian day centres for older people in Manchester (UK) were asked to complete the Dementia Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ). The DKQ was translated into Gujarathi and Urdu by the professional translators.


RESULTS
One hundred and ninety-one DKQs from Indian and 55 DKQs from Caucasian (white UK/Irish/European) older people were included in the analyses. Knowledge of dementia was poor in both Indian and Caucasian older people, especially so in the former. The median (25th-75th percentile) total DKQ scores were 3 (2-5) in Indians and 6 (3.5-9) in Caucasians (p < 0.001). Indian older people showed significantly less knowledge about basic aspects (p < 0.001) and epidemiology (p < 0.001) of dementia when compared to Caucasian older people. Both groups faired equally badly on questions about aetiology (p = 0.91) and symptomatology (p = 0.66). Indian older people were less aware of personality, reasoning, and speech being the affected in dementia (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p = 0.04, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Indian older people in Manchester (UK) do not seem to have sufficient knowledge about dementia, which may be one of the reasons for their relative absence in the local dementia treatment clinics.
Purandare
Nitin
N
School of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. nitin.purandare@manchester.ac.uk
Luthra
Vikram
V
Swarbrick
Caroline
C
Burns
Alistair
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D001364:Awareness; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003631:Day Care, Medical; D003906:Developing Countries; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires