The Effects Of Health Education On Knowledge About Alzheimer'S Disease And Health-Promoting Behaviours Of Older Chinese Adults In A Nursing Home: A Pilot Study

This pilot study tested the effects of health education on knowledge of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and health-promotion lifestyles among older Chinese adults residing in a nursing home in Wuhan. A convenience sample of 35 elders without AD was recruited from a nursing home in Wuhan and provided with a 5 week health education intervention. Participants had little knowledge about AD and had an intermediate level of health promotion. After receiving the intervention, there were significant increases in scores on AD knowledge (F=29.69, df=1.23, P<0.01) and health-promotion lifestyle (F=4.39, df=2, P<0.05). These results suggest that the intervention on AD knowledge and health promotion was effective for elders in this study. Nurses should therefore provide education for elders in nursing homes to improve their AD knowledge and health-promotion lifestyles, and to prevent or ameliorate AD.