Facilitators and barriers to implementing lifestyle intervention programme to prevent cognitive decline

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• The Finnish Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) demonstrated a multidomain lifestyle intervention's efficacy in promoting brain health.
• This intervention combined healthy diet, physical, social, and cognitive activities, alongside cardiovascular risk management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore healthcare professionals' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to implementing the FINGER lifestyle program into routine healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving four semi-structured focus group interviews with 27 healthcare professionals from primary care and non-governmental organizations.
• Content analysis was used to analyze the interview data.

Main Results:

• Barriers and facilitators were categorized into infrastructure/resources, client characteristics, and the intervention itself.
• Key sub-categories included knowledge gaps, motivation, resource adequacy, individualization needs, and the importance of multiprofessional collaboration.
• Professionals highlighted the need for increased dementia prevention education, efficient coordination, sufficient resources, and enhanced collaboration.

Conclusions:

• Translating lifestyle interventions from research to practice necessitates understanding implementation factors.
• Identifying these drivers and constraints aids in designing tailored prevention programs, boosting motivation and adherence, and facilitating system-level change for cognitive health.