Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/10
Browse
1 results
Search Results
Item Restricted The Relationship Between Stigma and Level of Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Within The Saudi Culture(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-11-30) Jambi, Amnah; Butcher, Howard KarlThere are two types of stigmas: self-stigma and public stigma. The focus of this dissertation was public stigma. The public stigma encountered by persons with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) contributes to the isolation of families due to the effort made by AD caregivers to adjust to social challenges (Abojabel & Warner, 2019). According to the Saudi Alzheimer’s Disease Association (2022), there are 130 thousand documented cases of AD, which comprised 9% of the aged population. The severity of stigmas can vary across cultures because stigmas of disease are connected to cultural norms (Corrigan, 2014). Most studies conducted in Saudi Arabia have assessed public stigma regarding mental illnesses, but no study has been found regarding public stigma within the AD scope. Population-based approaches that attempt to clarify stigma level prevalence in representative samples are important to develop methods to address these disparities and ensure equitable access to health care within the population's cultural context. The aim of this study was to 1) identify the relationship between public stigma and the level of AD knowledge among the Saudi population and 2) identify the potential factors that were associated with public stigma and AD knowledge levels among Saudi community members, within the context of a caring science perspective using critical caring theory and specific-situation theory. A non-experimental, correlational descriptive, and cross-sectional design was used for this study. The method of collecting data was an online survey method (Qualtrics) using the Basic Knowledge of Alzheimer's Disease (BKAD) to measure knowledge (Wiese, et al., 2017, 2019), and an adapted version of the Attribution Questionnaire AQ-9 to measure public stigma (Kim et al., 2021; Werner et al., 2017). Data analysis was performed via SPSS version 29. A total of (N = 150) participants were recruited in a span of three months. Data analysis revealed: 1) a significant correlation (r = -.20, p = .016) between AD knowledge and public stigma level, 2) significant factors associated with public stigma level were gender (B = 1.89, t = 2.51, p = .013), an education level (B = -2.69, t = -3.42, p < .001); and experience as an AD caregiver professionally (B = 2.69, t = 2.30, p = .023), 3) Factors significantly associated with AD knowledge level were the a) age group 18- 24 years old (B = 2.78, t = 2.27, p = .025), b) occupation in the non-medical profession category (B = -1.77, t = -2.04, p = .043), and c) education level (B = 2.27, t = 2.75, p = .007). Stigma can vary based on various contextual factors, including cultural influences, in which further studies are needed to better understand the concept in versatile cultures. The findings provided valuable insights into the patterns and significance of relationships between public stigma, AD knowledge, and factors associated with stigma and AD knowledge.40 0