Dementia Prevalence Figures, Need All of Our Attention


Author : Dr. N.W. Suriastini, M.Phil*, Dr. Yuda Turana**, Firman Witoelar, Ph.D*, Bondan Supraptilah, SE., MA*, Teguh Yudo Wicaksono, Ph.D*, Endra Dwi M, SEFriday, 11/03/2016SurveyMETER

Indonesia will have an aging population structure in less than four years as the percentage of the population aged 60 years or more is at least 10%. Along with the increase in the number of elderly, a soaring number also happens to people with degenerative diseases such as dementia. As of 60-70% of dementia is Alzheimer's. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease that is caused by complex brain changes following cell damage. It leads to dementia symptoms that gradually worsen over time. The most common early symptom of Alzheimer’s is trouble remembering new information because the disease typically impacts the part of the brain associated with learning first. It is not known exactly how many elderly people in Indonesia experience it at this time. Public knowledge about Alzheimer's as a disease is also still low. Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. It describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory, reasoning, or other thinking skills. Many different types of dementia exist, and many conditions cause it.

One of the objectives of the dementia survey in the Special Region of Yogyakarta conducted by SurveyMETER with support from the DFAT Knowledge Sector Initiative in 2016 was to obtain the prevalence of dementia. It was built from the results of the Dementia study in Jakarta and also from the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS). The Special Region of Yogyakarta is the province with the highest percentage of elderly in Indonesia, and for its 15 years is seen in the Special Region of Yogyakarta now. The dementia prevalence rate shows a higher value than the prevalence rate at the international level. How much higher is the prevalence of dementia in each age group, residence, and its implications are described in this policy brief. Please download the link below. Download