Dementia-Preventing Behavior Awareness and Uptake Rates among Japanese Women in Midlife: A Survey-Based Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Lifestyle modifications are recognized as crucial for dementia prevention.
• Understanding the gap between dementia-preventive behavior awareness and practice is vital for early intervention strategies.
• Community-dwelling women aged 40-64 represent a key demographic for proactive brain health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess awareness and adoption rates of dementia-preventive behaviors in women aged 40-64.
• To explore the relationship between dementia-related anxiety and engagement in preventive behaviors.
• To identify factors influencing the implementation of dementia prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

• A mail-based, self-administered anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted from January to May 2020.
• Data were collected from community-dwelling women aged 40-64 years.
• Analysis included descriptive statistics and comparative assessments between groups with and without dementia-related anxiety.

Main Results:

• A significant proportion of participants (approx. 60%) reported dementia-related anxiety, while most (approx. 80%) desired dementia prevention.
• While participants demonstrated awareness of multiple dementia-preventive behaviors, less than 50% practiced any.
• Dementia-related anxiety correlated with increased interest and awareness of prevention methods, and higher dementia knowledge was associated with knowing more methods, but not necessarily with practicing them.

Conclusions:

• A notable discrepancy exists between dementia prevention knowledge and behavioral practice among middle-aged women.
• Dementia-related anxiety may motivate increased awareness but does not guarantee adoption of preventive behaviors.
• Targeted interventions are needed to bridge the knowledge-action gap in dementia prevention for women.