Promoting Dementia Awareness in Portuguese Primary Schools: A Quasi-Experimental Pre–Post Study Using the KIDS and Adapted Todaro Instruments

Children often hold misconceptions about aging and dementia, which can contribute to stigma and negative attitudes toward older adults. Educational interventions addressing these issues in primary school settings are limited, despite the growing societal impact of dementia. This study evaluated a brief, school-based intervention using storytelling and a game-based toolkit (Cortex School Bag) designed to enhance children’s understanding of and empathy towards people living with dementia. Twenty children aged 9-10 years completed pre- and post-intervention assessments using the Adapted Todaro Scale for Children and the Kids Insight into Dementia Survey (KIDS). Results showed a small descriptive increase in positive trait attributions toward older adults and a reduction in negative stereotypes on the Todaro Scale. KIDS subscales and total scores remained stable, although some items indicated reduced stigma and greater willingness to help, with pre–post differences not retained after Holm–Bonferroni correction. These exploratory findings suggest that short interventions can positively influence children’s attitudes, but larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm the durability of these effects.