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Published on: January 24, 2020
Midlife dementia risk and later dementia-related fear and avoidance: evidence from a prospective cohort study
Francesca R Farina1,2, Katie Bridgeman3, Georgios Ntailianis3
1Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Objectives:
Dementia-related fear can influence help-seeking and engagement with prevention, yet it is unclear whether these responses vary with objectively measured dementia risk in midlife. We tested whether midlife risk was associated with subsequent dementia-related fear and avoidance.
Methods:
Participants were 197 cognitively healthy adults from the PREVENT cohort (ages 40-59). Midlife dementia risk was assessed using CAIDE and LIBRA scores. Dementia-related fear and avoidance were measured approximately 4.2 years later using the Fear-Avoidance of Memory Loss scale. Regression models tested associations between midlife risk and later fear and avoidance, adjusting for covariates; component-level associations were also examined.
Results:
Higher midlife risk was associated with greater fear and avoidance, with associations that were more consistent and pronounced for LIBRA. Depressive symptoms and diet showed the largest component-level associations.
Conclusion:
Emotional and behavioral responses to dementia risk are evident in midlife, highlighting their potential relevance for mental health-informed communication and prevention strategies.
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