Women care more than men

Women and men think differently about Alzheimer’s disease, new international data shows.

More women than men are concerned about the possibility of a loved one developing Alzheimer’s disease or developing the condition themselves, new research has found.

Recent data collected from women throughout France, Germany, Spain, Poland and the United States (US) has revealed how the female perspective of Alzheimer’s differs from the male point of view.

The findings from the five-country survey, revealed at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in Paris yesterday, showed that women were more concerned about the prevalance of, developing and living with the disease.

Commissioned by Alzheimer’s Europe and administered by Harvard School of Public Health, The Value of Knowing Survey found that women in France were 15 per cent more afraid of developing Alzheimer’s than their male counterparts; almost 60 per cent of women in the US and nearly 50 per cent of women in France were aware that Alzheimer’s is a progressive and fatal disease; and women in all of the countries surveyed believed that government spending on Alzheimer’s research should be increased (90 per cent of women in Spain and 70 per cent of women in Germany).

Women in all countries were more likely than their male counterparts to be involved in day-to-day care. In Poland there was more than a 10 percent differential.

In addition to providing the day-to-day care, women in France and Poland were significantly more involved in the decision-making and financial support of the person living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Despite the fear of the disease and the fact that women are more often caregivers, women in France and the US appear to be more optimistic that an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s will be developed in the next five years, 71 and 76 per cent respectively.

The survey results were debated during a conference panel discussion, Women and Alzheimer’s: A Global Perspective, hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association with GE Healthcare.

“With statistics consistently pointing to the fact that more women are living with Alzheimer’s and caring for people with Alzheimer’s, it is clear women are disproportionately affected by this disease,” said Angela Geiger, chief strategy officer of the Alzheimer’s Association.

“These insights reinforce the conclusions published in The Shriver Report: A Women’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s which found the impact of Alzheimer’s on women is significant.

“The perspectives we see in this survey must prompt thoughtful conversations about Alzheimer’s with our friends, family members and government officials to change the trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease.”


 

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