THE EFFECTS OF HISPANIC-FOCUSED DEMENTIA EDUCATION ON NURSING STUDENTS’ AWARENESS, KNOWLEDGE, AND CONFIDENCE

Sep 29, 2026

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Hispanic Americans face a higher likelihood of developing dementia and a longer delay in diagnosis driven by discrimination in healthcare access, disease predispositions, language and financial barriers, and insufficient knowledge. Nursing education often lacks formal programs to address these needs. This study evaluates a Hispanic-focused dementia educational intervention using a single-group pretest-posttest design to measure nursing students’ awareness, knowledge, and confidence in caring for this population.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Purpose

Methodology

Results

Conclusions

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 865 culturally competent care. This initiative is an important step to empower future nurses to improve health outcomes and ensure equitable care for vulnerable populations in professional practice. Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2927 THE EFFECTS OF HISPANIC-FOCUSED DEMENTIA EDUCATION ON NURSING STUDENTS’ AWARENESS, KNOWLEDGE, AND CONFIDENCE Jessica Sanchez, and Aleatha Rossler, Texas Woman’s University, Dallas, Texas, United States Background: Hispanic Americans are 1.5 times more likely to develop dementia than non-Hispanic White Americans, yet experience a greater delay in diagnosis. The cause for delay is multifactorial, including discrimination when seeking healthcare, predisposition to diseases that increase dementia risk, language and financial barriers, and lack of knowledge. Nurses can playa critical role in addressing these barriers, yet nursing curricula lack formal programs to prepare students for this topic. Purpose: To evaluate the effects of a Hispanic-focused dementia educational intervention on nursing students’ awareness, knowledge, and confidence incaring for this patient population. Methodology: A single-group, pretest-posttest design was employed, utilizing a convenience sample of undergraduate nursing students. Participants completed assessments to measure their awareness, knowledge, and confidence levels before and after the educational intervention. Results: There was a statistically significant increase in awareness of prevalence of health conditions that increase dementia risk (p = 0.002) and prevalence of dementia (p = 0.02) within communities of color; increase in confidence in ability to educate Hispanic patients diagnosed with dementia (p = 0.003); and increase in the mean knowledge of dementia within the Hispanic population. Conclusions: These findings support the data-driven change of integrating this educational intervention into the nursing curriculum to prepare nurses for delivering

FAQs

Why focus on Hispanic-centered dementia education?

Hispanic Americans are more likely to develop dementia and experience delays in diagnosis due to multiple barriers, including discrimination, language and financial obstacles, and limited knowledge. The intervention targets nursing gaps in preparing students for these realities.

How was the educational intervention evaluated?

A single-group pretest-posttest design was used with a convenience sample of undergraduate nursing students. Students completed assessments before and after the intervention to measure awareness, knowledge, and confidence.

What outcomes improved after the intervention?

Results showed statistically significant increases in awareness of health conditions linked to dementia risk and in community prevalence of dementia. Confidence improved for educating Hispanic patients diagnosed with dementia, and mean knowledge of dementia within the Hispanic population increased.

Sep 29, 2026

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