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Abstract

Purpose: Dementia is the loss of cognitive function, including thinking, memory, and communication, due to brain disorders. The global prevalence of dementia is increasing, affecting younger populations. Caring for individuals with dementia requires preparedness to manage behavioral and psychological symptoms. As future healthcare providers, nursing students are expected to have the necessary knowledge and attitudes to support dementia patients. To describe nursing students' attitudes toward dementia and explore related factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 520 nursing students at Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy. A structured questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics, academic information, knowledge, and attitudes toward dementia. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0.

Results: The moderate level of positive attitudes was with the average score of 86.17 ± 26.29. Attitudes toward dementia correlated positively with age (r=0.32) and knowledge (r=0.35) (p=0.00). Significant differences were found based on academic year, dementia-related case study, clinical practice, and dementia case discussions (p<0.05).

Conclusions: Nursing students demonstrated moderately positive attitudes toward dementia. Integrating theory and clinical practice is essential to enhance knowledge and improve attitudes.

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