Factors That Influence JHS/SHS Students Reactions to Dementia in Ghana And How Educating Them Will Promote Future Awareness of Dementia

Adu Romeo Appiah

awareness, dementia, education, ignorance, superstition.

Dementia, due to its unorthodox nature in the Ghanaian society, is being misinterpreted by many Ghanaians.  It is believed that these reactions are on the grounds of superstition and ignorance (lack of teachings on the topic). This study therefore sought to identify whether superstition and ignorance are the main factors of this misinterpretation and prove how educating JHS/SHS will significantly help. This study logically and justifiably centered on JHS/SHS students employed quantitative and statistical approaches. 180 students from different schools were selected for the study. An interviewer guided questionnaire was used to collect their responses and analyzed mathematically using frequency tablesand the multiple linear regression techniques assisted by STATA. Out of the respondents, 100 (55.56%) were JHS students and 80 (44.44%) were SHS students. The study found that 133 out of the 180 students (73.89%) believe in superstitions and a bulk of 151 (83.89%) had no idea about dementia. The multiple linear regression model was run on the data and statistically significant values were recorded: ignorance (t=2.10, P=0.037) and superstition (t=-3.09, P=0.002). These values mathematically prove that there is a relationship between the reactions of the respondents toward dementia and the factors. Also based on calculations and logic in the discussion section, educating JHS/SHS students will increase the awareness of dementia in the country to about the whole population in the next 45 years.