Enhancing Attitudes and Health Literacy Toward Dementia Through Dialogue Café: A Study Among Japanese Citizens and...

As global populations age, dementia poses a major public health challenge, necessitating community-based interventions to improve awareness and understanding. Dialogue Cafés, where healthcare professionals engage with local residents, offer a promising approach to enhancing public understanding and health literacy related to dementia. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Dialogue Café sessions in improving attitudes toward dementia and health literacy related to dementia comprehension among community citizens and healthcare/social professionals.

From October 2015 to February 2016, Dialogue Café sessions on dementia were conducted in six Japanese municipalities, involving 224 participants (217 completed questionnaires). These community-based educational cafés provided structured group discussions between healthcare professionals and citizens using the Dialogue Café approach. Attitude toward dementia and health literacy were measured at three time points: before (T1), immediately after (T2), and one month later (T3).

The study included 202 participants (112 health professionals, 90 citizens). Health professionals' Attitude Toward Dementia scale (AD) scores increased from 46.14 (±5.99) at T1 to 47.53 (±5.43) at T2 but slightly declined at T3 (46.74 ±5.56). Citizens showed a greater increase from 42.09 (±7.07) at T1 to 45.35 (±6.40) at T2, with a slight decrease at T3 (44.86 ±5.43). Health literacy improved in both groups, with sustained gains for citizens. Attitude changes were influenced by time, dementia course participation, and caregiving experience.

Dialogue Cafés effectively enhance dementia awareness and health literacy, particularly among the general public, supporting their broader application in community-based dementia education.