One-Quarter (26%) Of Canadians Know Someone in their Family Diagnosed with Alzheimer Disease

Toronto, ONTARIO - According to a new study conducted by Ipsos-Reid on behalf of the Alzheimer Society of Canada, one-quarter (26%) of Canadians indicate that there is someone in their family who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer Disease. In fact, close to half (46%) say they have family or friends or have personally been diagnosed with the disease.

As well, Canadians believe that as the Canadian population ages, the effects of Alzheimer Disease on the healthcare system will be dramatic. In fact, nine in ten (88%) express agreement with this view.

An equivalent proportion (89%), say that more money needs to be spent on research into Alzheimer Disease.

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Alzheimer Society of Canada between July 23rd and July 25th, 2002. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 1,000 adult Canadians. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 1996 Census data.

One-Quarter (26%) Of Canadians Know Someone in their Family Diagnosed with Alzheimer Disease

One-quarter (26%) of Canadians report that there is a member of their family that has been diagnosed with Alzheimer Disease. In their wider circle, close to half (46%) of Canadians say they have family or friends or have personally been diagnosed with the disease.

• Canadians 55 years of age and older (53%) and those between 35 and 54 (47%) are more likely than those 18 to 34 (39%) to have a family member, a friend or have personally been diagnosed with Alzheimer Disease.
• The highest level of personal contact with someone diagnosed with the disease is among Atlantic Canadians (57%) and those in Saskatchewan/Manitoba (53%), followed by Alberta (49%), British Columbia (46%) and Ontario (46%). The lowest rate is among residents of Quebec (38%).

Nine in Ten (88%) Say the Effects of Alzheimer Disease on Canadian Healthcare System will be Dramatic

Nine in ten (88%) say that as the Canadian population ages, the effects of Alzheimer Disease on the Canadian healthcare system will be dramatic.

• Middle aged (91%) Canadians are slightly more likely to express agreement with this view than younger (87%) Canadians.
• Upper (91%) and middle (89%) income households are more likely to express agreement with this idea than lower (83%) income households.

An Equal Proportion (89%) Believe that More Money Needs to Be Spent on Research into Alzheimer

An equal proportion (89%) of Canadians believe that more money needs to be spent on research into Alzheimer Disease.

• Residents of Quebec (93%) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (93%) and Atlantic Canada (92%) are more likely to indicate that more money needs to be spent on research into Alzheimer Disease. This compares to those in British Columbia (88%), Ontario (87%) and Alberta (86%).

When asked if they think that the amount of money spent in Canada into the cause and cure of Alzheimer Disease is more, about the same or less than that spent on cancer or heart disease, three-quarters (76%) say they believe it is less than for the other diseases, while 12% indicate it is about the same, and only 4% say that it is more.

• onally, residents of Quebec (61%) are the least likely to say that less money is spent on Alzheimer research. This compares to Atlantic Canada (86%), British Columbia (85%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (82%), Alberta (81%), and Ontario (78%).
• dians from upper income households (87%) are more likely that those from middle (73%) or lower (71%) income households to indicate that less money is spent on Alzheimer research than on research into cancer or heart disease.

Canadians Estimate That Almost One in Five (18.7%) of Those 65 or Older in Canada Have Alzheimer Disease

On average, Canadians estimate that one in five (18.7%) of those 65 years of age or older in Canada have been diagnosed with Alzheimer Disease. One quarter (26%) of Canadians believe the proportion of senior citizens in the country diagnosed with the disease is between one and five percent, while 16% estimate that the percentage is thirty-one percent or higher. In fact, the proportion of Canadians over 65 years of age diagnosed with the disease is approximately 8%.

• Residents of Quebec have the highest average estimate of 20.5%. This compares to the British Columbia average estimation of 15.6%.
• Women report a higher average estimate (21.6%) then do men (15.8%).
• The average estimate of younger Canadians (21.8%) is higher than that of middle aged (17.3%) or older (16.6%) Canadians.
• The average estimate of Canadians with a high school diploma (30.9%) is more than double that of Canadians with a university degree (12.3%). The estimate of those with a high school diploma (21.1%) or some post-secondary education (18.8%) is closer to the national average.

Two-thirds (67%) of Canadians believe that Alzheimer Disease is a condition that mainly affects those in their sixties or older. Only 3% indicate that it is a condition that mainly affects those under 40 years of age, while 8% say it most affects those in there forties, and 18% say people in their fifties.

One half (50%) of Canadians believe that they know `a great deal' (15%) or `some' (35%) about Alzheimer Disease. Close to four in ten (37%) have `a little' knowledge, while one in ten (10%) say they know `basically nothing' regarding the disease. Three percent indicate they have never heard of the disease.

• Not surprising, older (55%) and middle aged (52%) Canadians are more likely to indicate they know a `great deal' or `some' about Alzheimer Disease, while only 42% of younger Canadians indicate this level of knowledge. In comparison 17% of Canadians 18 to 34 years of age say they know basically nothing or have never heard of the disease, compared to only 10% of those 35 and older.
• The highest level of knowledge (`a great deal'/'some') is found among those in Saskatchewan/Manitoba (63%), followed by residents of British Columbia (56%), Alberta (55%), Ontario (52%) and Atlantic Canada (52%). Residents of Quebec (38%) are the least likely to say they know `a great deal' or `some' about Alzheimer Disease.
• Canadians with some post-secondary education (54%) or a university degree (56%) are more likely to indicate they know `a great deal' or `some' about Alzheimer Disease. This compares to 44% of Canadians with a high school diploma and 33% of those with less than a high school diploma.
• Canadians in the highest income ($60,000+) households (55%) are more likely to indicate they know `a great deal' or `some' then those in the lowest income (less than $30,000) households (42%).

Eight in Ten (81%) Believe that People Would Teat Them Differently If They were Diagnosed with Alzheimer Disease

While half (50%) of Canadians indicate that they have at least some knowledge of Alzheimer Disease, there still appears to be a stigma attached to those diagnosed with the disease. Eight in ten (81%) Canadians indicate that they think that people would look at them or treat them differently if they were diagnosed with the disease.

• This view is strongest among Canadians in the highest income households (87%) compared to those in middle (79%) and lower (76%) income households.
• Those with some post-secondary education (87%), a university degree (84%) or a high school diploma (79%) are more believe this to be the case than those without a high school diploma (63%).
• There is no significant difference between genders, or age groups on this belief.

To veiw the factum and detailed tables, please open the attached PDF files.

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For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900