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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the level of knowledge and awareness regarding dementia risk factors among women attending a tertiary care hospital in Lahore. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study, conducted at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. Two hundred and fifty females above 50 years of age who anonymously filled proforma, containing information about their demographics, medical history and determinants of dementia were included in the study. The data was entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25.0. RESULTS: Among the 250 female participants in our study, 214 (85.6%) were within the age range of 50–70 years, while 36 (14.4%) were between 71–90 years. The determinants of dementia were assessed, with the most prevalent factor being age ≥65 years, reported in 223 (89.2%) participants. The second most common determinant was a history of head trauma in 190 (76.0%), followed by a family history of dementia in 136 (54.4%), diabetes in 125 (50.0%), sleep disturbances in 64 (25.6%), and the use of sleep aids or medications for urinary urgency in 24 (9.6%). Involvement in family-level decision-making was noted in 114 (45.6%) participants. The least frequently observed determinants were smoking in 11 (4.4%) and alcohol use in 6 (2.4%). A significant association was found between marital status and sleep disturbances (P = 0.003), as well as marital status and involvement in family-level decision-making (P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: A common group for determinants of dementia including age≥65 years, head trauma, family history of dementia, sleep disturbance was found in the study population and further research with a bigger sample size is needed to verify them