Beyond Dementia-Friendly Training: What Shapes Dementia Awareness in the Workplace? Evidence from a Multi-Sector Study of Dementia-Friendly Businesses

Background and Purpose: As the number of people living with dementia (PWD) continues to rise, social workers must work interdisciplinarily with other professionals to examine how dementia-friendly businesses prepare the workforce to foster inclusive and supportive environments for PWD and their caregivers. This study investigated how prior exposure to dementia (both personal and professional) and sociodemographic factors influence staff awareness of dementia in such settings. Guided by Person-Centered Dementia Care (PCDC) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this research explored whether the type and duration of dementia exposure and individual characteristics significantly predicted awareness toward transforming customer-oriented businesses into dementia-friendly environments.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized data from an online questionnaire distributed nationwide to employees across various sectors within businesses designated as dementia friendly. The final analytic sample comprised 492 participants representing diverse geographic and industry backgrounds. Participants completed a 34-item Likert-scale instrument assessing dementia awareness across six domains: knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, social norms, intentions, and behaviors. Independent variables included (1) dementia exposure type categorized as personal, professional, or comprehensive (a combination of personal and professional exposure) and (2) duration of exposure, defined as short-term (<1 year), moderate-term (1–5 years), or long-term (>5 years). Sociodemographic data were also collected, including age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income, business sector, geographic location, and employment status. A two-way ANOVA examined the main and interaction effects of dementia exposure type and duration on awareness scores, and a standard multiple regression tested the predictive strength of sociodemographic variables.

Results: A significant interaction between exposure type and duration was observed, F_{(6, 469)} = 6.90, p < .001, partial η² = .081. Participants with long-term, comprehensive exposure showed the highest awareness scores, while those with short-term or isolated exposure had significantly lower scores. Post hoc analyses confirmed a dose-response pattern: sustained and diverse exposure was linked to higher awareness across all domains. The multiple regression model was also statistically significant, F_{(8, 483)} = 11.33, p < .001, R² = .158. Education level (β = .295, p < .001), employment sector (β = –.125, p = .003), and geographic location (β = –.143, p = .001) significantly predicted awareness. Participants with higher education attainment, in healthcare/social services, and living in urban areas scored the highest. Welch’s ANOVA confirmed business sector-based differences, F_{(5, 113.19)} = 29.17, p < .001, η² = .224.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings suggest that both prolonged exposure to PWD and structural advantages (education, sector, geography) significantly enhance dementia awareness. Results support PCDC and TPB frameworks, indicating that training must be supplemented with real-world exposure, reflective practice, and identity development. Social workers should champion experiential learning strategies and prioritize equity in dementia training across diverse sectors. These findings inform the development of more effective, inclusive, and scalable dementia-friendly workforce interventions by emphasizing the pivotal role of social work leadership in designing practice-based models that move beyond one-time training and embed dementia awareness into organizational culture, business sector-specific engagement, and equity-driven public health strategies.