Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major public health problem and represents commonest form of dementia that affects many aspects of brain functions and contributes to 60–70% of dementia cases. No study has been conducted in Saudi Arabia to measure the prevalence of AD. However, approximately there are at least 50,000 patients in Saudi Arabia based on an expert’s estimation . Public knowledge and awareness about Alzheimer’s disease are crucial for early diagnosis and management. Objective To investigate the public’s knowledge and attitudes toward Alzheimer’s disease in Aseer region. Subject and methods Cross-sectional study has employed an electronic online, semi-structured, and self-administered questionnaire, randomly distributed among participants. The questions included sociodemographics, attitudes, and knowledge panels toward Alzheimer’s disease based on Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS). Results The study included 1374 participants with a mean age 33 ± 11 years (ages18–70). The majority of the participants (77%) had no family history with Alzheimer’s disease. Less than 50% of the questions were answered correctly and the mean knowledge score was 10.77 ± 5.11. The results revealed that young-aged participants, females, and those having a family history of the disease, have significantly ( P < 0.05) better AD-related knowledge. Conclusion The study revealed an inadequate AD-related knowledge as indicated by the low mean knowledge score. However, participants have demonstrated a positive attitude toward AD patients. More educational programs are required to enhance their awareness and knowledge about AD.

中文翻译：

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沙特阿拉伯阿塞尔地区公众对阿尔茨海默病的认识、知识和态度

背景 阿尔茨海默病 (AD) 是一种主要的公共卫生问题，是最常见的痴呆症形式，影响大脑功能的许多方面，占痴呆症病例的 60-70%。沙特阿拉伯尚未进行任何研究来衡量 AD 的患病率。但是，根据专家的估计，沙特阿拉伯大约有至少 50,000 名患者。公众对阿尔茨海默病的了解和认识对于早期诊断和管理至关重要。目的了解阿瑟尔地区公众对阿尔茨海默病的认识和态度。主题和方法横断面研究采用了电子在线、半结构化和自我管理的问卷，随机分布在参与者中。这些问题包括社会人口统计学、态度、和基于阿尔茨海默病知识量表 (ADKS) 的阿尔茨海默病知识小组。结果 该研究包括 1374 名参与者，平均年龄为 33 ± 11 岁（18-70 岁）。大多数参与者 (77%) 没有阿尔茨海默病家族史。回答正确的问题不到 50%，平均知识得分为 10.77 ± 5.11。结果显示，年轻参与者、女性和有该病家族史的参与者对 AD 相关知识有显着（ P < 0.05）更好的了解。结论 该研究揭示了与 AD 相关的知识不足，如平均知识得分较低所示。然而，参与者对 AD 患者表现出积极的态度。需要更多的教育计划来提高他们对 AD 的认识和知识。