Public Health

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Dementia prevention is crucial for aging populations.
• Lifestyle interventions are key to mitigating dementia risk.
• Community-based programs require effective motivational strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the community applicability of a dementia prevention program.
• To enhance motivation and reinforce dementia-preventive behaviors using the Health Belief Model (HBM).
• To evaluate the program's impact on middle-aged and older adults.

Main Methods:

• A one-group pre-post study design with nine community-dwelling participants.
• A 10-session, 5-week program integrating the Knowledge, Evaluation, Experience, Plan (KEEP) strategy and a reward system.
• Pre- and post-program assessments using validated scales for motivation, behavior, lifestyle, depression, and quality of life, followed by a 4-week adherence check.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in perceived benefits and self-efficacy for dementia prevention motivation (p=.018, p=.034).
• Enhanced dementia-preventive behaviors in cognitive, social, and health-promoting domains (p=.016, p=.011, p=.027).
• Positive secondary outcomes included multifaceted lifestyle, physical activity, and reduced depression (p=.008, p=.008, p=.018), with high participant satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• The HBM-based program demonstrates significant community applicability for dementia prevention.
• The intervention effectively improved motivation and behaviors related to dementia prevention.
• This study provides a foundation for scalable community-based dementia prevention initiatives.