Involving Societal Stakeholders in Dementia Risk Reduction: An Explorative Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Gerontology
• Sociology

Background:

• Dementia risk reduction requires multi-level strategies.
• Societal stakeholders are key to awareness and policy influence.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify societal stakeholders for dementia risk reduction.
• Explore stakeholder perspectives on their roles.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative approach with participatory elements.
• Advisory panel of citizens (n=14).
• Two-phase data collection: stakeholder identification (n=32) and perspective exploration (18 interviews, 1 focus group). Thematic analysis was used.

Main Results:

• Stakeholders had limited knowledge and perceived low responsibility for dementia risk reduction.
• Participants advocated for policy-level changes and obligatory risk reduction measures.
• Recommendations included integrating dementia risk into general health campaigns and early-life education.

Conclusions:

• Increased stakeholder involvement and policy measures can enhance dementia risk reduction.
• Integrating dementia education early in life is crucial.
• Further large-scale validation studies are needed across diverse stakeholder groups.