Effects of an Online Learning Platform for Caregivers on Knowledge of Dementia Prevention in Older Adults
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Abstract
This quasi-experimental research with a two-group pretest–posttest design aimed to examine the effects of an online learning platform for caregivers on knowledge regarding dementia prevention in older adults. The sample consisted of 48 caregivers of older adults recruited through voluntary participation. Participants were matched by gender, age, educational level, and pretest knowledge scores, and then randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group using simple random sampling, with 24 participants in each group. The experimental group received the online learning platform, while the control group received routine care and standard information. Research instruments included the online learning platform and a dementia prevention knowledge questionnaire for caregivers. The content validity index of the instruments was .98, and the reliability coefficient using Kuder–Richardson Formula 21 was .75. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
The findings revealed that, after participating in the online learning platform, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher knowledge scores regarding dementia prevention compared with their pretest scores (Z = 6.04, p < .001) and compared with the control group (Z = 5.85, p < .001). In addition, the change in knowledge scores between pretest and posttest in the experimental group was significantly greater than that of the control group at the .05 significance level (Z = 5.72, p < .001).
The online learning platform effectively enhanced caregivers’ knowledge regarding dementia prevention and may be applied as an educational tool for community health promotion and primary healthcare services.
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