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Family physicians' attitudes toward people with dementia and their association with empathy
Yokus SE, Ozcan F, Elbi H.. Research Square, 2026-10-14
Topic: Health services, long-term care and technology
Plain-language summary
Background Family physicians' attitudes toward people with dementia are important for delivering person-centered care and coordinating long-term care. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship—which remains insufficiently clarified—between empathy and family physicians' general, supportive, accepting, and exclusionary attitudes toward people with dementia. Methods This cross-sectional study included 412 family physicians working at family health centers in Türkiye who participated voluntarily. Data were collected face-to-face and online from May 2023 to February 2024. Attitudes and empathy were assessed using the Dementia Attitudes Scale and the Empathy Quotient. Multiple linear regression models were constructed separately for the total score and subscales of the Dementia Attitudes Scale. Results Participants' mean age was 43.03 ± 9.65 years; mean Dementia Attitudes Scale and Empathy Quotient total scores were 97.74 ± 16.58 and 50.51 ± 8.22, respectively. Empathy was positively associated with general attitude (r = 0.445), supporting attitude (r = 0.481), and accepting attitude (r = 0.348), but not with exclusionary attitude (r = 0.091; p = 0.066). In multiple linear regression, empathy was independently associated with general attitude (B = 0.871; 95% CI 0.696–1.047; p < 0.001), supportive attitude (B = 0.535; 95% CI 0.439–0.631; p < 0.001), and accepting attitude (B = 0.295; 95% CI 0.216–0.374; p < 0.001), but not with exclusionary attitude. A higher daily patient volume was independently associated with a more positive general attitude and a less exclusionary attitude, while prior dementia training was independently associated with a less exclusionary attitude. Conclusion Family physicians' empathy levels were independently associated with general, supportive, and accepting attitudes toward people with dementia, but not with exclusionary attitudes. Higher daily patient volume was linked to more positive general attitudes and fewer exclusionary attitudes, while prior dementia training was associated with fewer exclusionary attitudes.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Yokus, S. E., Ozcan, F., & Elbi, H. (2026). Family physicians' attitudes toward people with dementia and their association with empathy. Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-11066796/v1
Vancouver
Yokus SE, Ozcan F, Elbi H. Family physicians' attitudes toward people with dementia and their association with empathy. Research Square. 2026. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-11066796/v1.
BibTeX
@article{yokus2026-cd317d80,
author = {Yokus, S. E. and Ozcan, F. and Elbi, H.},
title = {{Family physicians' attitudes toward people with dementia and their association with empathy}},
journal = {Research Square},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.21203/rs.3.rs-11066796/v1},
url = {https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-11066796/v1}
}
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Key findings
- Results Participants' mean age was 43.03 ± 9.65 years; mean Dementia Attitudes Scale and Empathy Quotient total scores were 97.74 ± 16.58 and 50.51 ± 8.22, respectively.
- Empathy was positively associated with general attitude (r = 0.445), supporting attitude (r = 0.481), and accepting attitude (r = 0.348), but not with exclusionary attitude (r = 0.091; p = 0.066).
- In multiple linear regression, empathy was independently associated with general attitude (B = 0.871; 95% CI 0.696–1.047; p < 0.001), supportive attitude (B = 0.535; 95% CI 0.439–0.631; p < 0.001), and accepting attitude (B = 0.295; 95% CI 0.216–0.374; p < 0.001), but not with exclusionary attitude.
- A higher daily patient volume was independently associated with a more positive general attitude and a less exclusionary attitude, while prior dementia training was independently associated with a less exclusionary attitude.
- Conclusion Family physicians' empathy levels were independently associated with general, supportive, and accepting attitudes toward people with dementia, but not with exclusionary attitudes.
Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants412
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 16/100
Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. It scored 35 on the same rubric, but non-peer-reviewed sources are capped at 16, so it shows as 16. Scored zero for effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multicenter collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 22 of the 62 points we could judge it on, which is 35 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 2 / 10 | Tier 4 — not a peer-reviewed journal (Research Square) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Not a journal article, so the journal's record does not count |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 4 / 10 | Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. Hosted on a preprint server. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 412 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multicenter collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 22 / 62 | Scored on 12 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 22 of the 62 points we could judge it on is 35 out of 100. |
| Total | 35 / 100 | Capped to 16 because this is not a peer-reviewed article. |
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