Exploring brain health awareness and dementia risk in young adults: A focus group study

IF 3.2 3区医学 Q1 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Public Health Pub Date : 2025-02-01 DOI:10.1016/j.puhe.2024.12.035

Laura Booi , Katie Bridgeman , Leanne Greene , Sarah Gregory , Hosanna An , Melissa Marquez , Francesca R. Farina

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Abstract

Objective

The topic of brain health across the life-course is currently receiving exponential attention. Alongside this, exposure to lifestyle-related risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias accumulates across the life-course. This study aimed to explore young adults' (18–39 years) perceptions and understanding of brain health and dementia risk.

Study design

This study employed a phenomenological descriptive qualitative methodology to examine the lived experiences and perceptions of participants.

Methods

Focus groups were conducted with 39 young adults (18 female, 2 non-binary) from North America (n = 20) and Europe (n = 19), conducted via video conference.

Results

Participants' awareness and understanding of brain health and dementia risk factors varied, influenced by factors such as general health, family history of dementia, and personal experiences with brain health issues (e.g., traumatic brain injury). The data revealed rich insights into how participants connected (or did not connect) lifestyle factors to brain health and dementia risk.

Conclusion

This study is among the first to explore young adults’ perceptions of brain health across diverse populations. While participants demonstrated moderate awareness of factors affecting brain health, they often struggled to link these factors directly to dementia risk or protective measures.

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探索年轻人大脑健康意识和痴呆风险：一项焦点小组研究。

目的：脑健康在整个生命过程中的话题目前受到指数级的关注。除此之外，与阿尔茨海默病和相关痴呆症的生活方式相关的风险因素在整个生命过程中积累。本研究旨在探讨年轻人（18-39岁）对大脑健康和痴呆风险的认知和理解。研究设计：本研究采用现象学描述性定性方法来检查参与者的生活经历和感知。方法：通过视频会议对来自北美（n = 20）和欧洲（n = 19）的39名青年（女性18人，非二元性别2人）进行焦点小组调查。结果：受一般健康状况、痴呆家族史和个人脑健康问题经历（如创伤性脑损伤）等因素影响，参与者对脑健康和痴呆危险因素的认识和理解各不相同。这些数据揭示了参与者如何将（或不将）生活方式因素与大脑健康和痴呆风险联系起来的丰富见解。结论：这项研究是首次探索不同人群中年轻人对大脑健康的看法。虽然参与者对影响大脑健康的因素表现出适度的意识，但他们往往很难将这些因素与痴呆症风险或保护措施直接联系起来。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Public Health 医学-公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生

CiteScore

7.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

280

审稿时长

37 days

期刊介绍： Public Health is an international, multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal. It publishes original papers, reviews and short reports on all aspects of the science, philosophy, and practice of public health.