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

Kieu T T Phung; Monique Chaaya; Martin Prince; Samir Atweh; Khalil El Asmar; Georges Karam; Rose Mary Khoury; Lilian Ghandour; Husam Ghusn; T Rune Nielsen; Gunhild Waldemar

doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2017.04.007

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

Alzheimers Dement. 2017 Dec;13(12):1317-1326. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2017.04.007. Epub 2017 Jun 2.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Danish Dementia Research Center, Department of Neurology, The Neuroscience Center, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: thien.phung@mail.mcgill.ca.
² Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
³ Department of Health Service and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK; Centre for Global Mental Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
⁴ Department of Neurology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, Saint George Hospital University Medical Center; Institute for Development, Advocacy, and Applied Care (IDRAAC), Beirut, Lebanon.
⁶ Department of Geriatrics, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon; Geriatric Department, Ain Wazen Hospital, Chouf, Mount Lebanon, Lebanon.
⁷ Danish Dementia Research Center, Department of Neurology, The Neuroscience Center, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Dementia; Dementia care; Lebanon; Prevalence.

MeSH terms

Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Caregivers / statistics & numerical data*
Caregivers / supply & distribution
Dementia / epidemiology*
Dementia / therapy*
Female
Humans
Lebanon / epidemiology
Male
Patient Acceptance of Health Care* / statistics & numerical data
Pilot Projects
Prevalence

Grants and funding

R21 AG039333/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States