Dementia prevalence, care arrangement, and access to care in Lebanon: A pilot study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Dementia prevalence, care arrangement, and access to care in Lebanon

T2 - A pilot study

AU - Phung, Kieu T T

AU - Chaaya, Monique

AU - Prince, Martin

AU - Atweh, Samir

AU - El Asmar, Khalil

AU - Karam, Georges

AU - Khoury, Rose Mary

AU - Ghandour, Lilian

AU - Ghusn, Husam

AU - Nielsen, T Rune

AU - Waldemar, Gunhild

N1 - Copyright © 2017 the Alzheimer's Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2017/12

Y1 - 2017/12

N2 - INTRODUCTION: In North Africa and the Middle East, studies about dementia prevalence are scarce. A pilot study was conducted in Lebanon to assess dementia prevalence, using the Arabic-validated 10/66 Dementia Research Group (DRG) diagnostic assessment for case ascertainment. The study also examined care arrangement and access to care.METHODS: A random sample of 502 persons older than 65 years and their informant were recruited from Beirut and Mount Lebanon governorates through multistage cluster sampling.RESULTS: The crude and age-standardized dementia prevalences were 7.4% and 9.0%, respectively. People with dementia were mainly cared for by relatives at home. Access to formal care was very limited.DISCUSSION: Dementia prevalence in Lebanon ranks high within the global range of estimates. These first evidence-based data about disease burden and barriers to care serve to raise awareness and call for social and health care reform to tackle the dementia epidemic in Lebanon and in North Africa and the Middle East.

AB - INTRODUCTION: In North Africa and the Middle East, studies about dementia prevalence are scarce. A pilot study was conducted in Lebanon to assess dementia prevalence, using the Arabic-validated 10/66 Dementia Research Group (DRG) diagnostic assessment for case ascertainment. The study also examined care arrangement and access to care.METHODS: A random sample of 502 persons older than 65 years and their informant were recruited from Beirut and Mount Lebanon governorates through multistage cluster sampling.RESULTS: The crude and age-standardized dementia prevalences were 7.4% and 9.0%, respectively. People with dementia were mainly cared for by relatives at home. Access to formal care was very limited.DISCUSSION: Dementia prevalence in Lebanon ranks high within the global range of estimates. These first evidence-based data about disease burden and barriers to care serve to raise awareness and call for social and health care reform to tackle the dementia epidemic in Lebanon and in North Africa and the Middle East.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jalz.2017.04.007

DO - 10.1016/j.jalz.2017.04.007

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28579315

SN - 1552-5260

VL - 13

SP - 1317

EP - 1326

JO - Alzheimer's & Dementia

JF - Alzheimer's & Dementia

IS - 12

ER -