| Title: |
Involving Societal Stakeholders in Dementia Risk Reduction:An Explorative Study |
| Authors: |
Dobbe, Jolanda H M; Smets,Ellen M A; Kreuk,Esmee; Coppelmans,Simone; Ramaker,Lars; Schröder,Moniek; Stekelenburg,Diny E; de Vries,Wiebe; Monique Verschuren, W M; Deckers,Kay; Wolters,Frank J; Visser, Leonie N C; Cardiometabolic Health; Circulatory Health; JC onderzoeksprogramma Cardiovascular Health; Child Health; Medical Humanities Onderzoek Team 1A |
| Publication Year: |
2026 |
| Subject Terms: |
Adult; Aged; Dementia/prevention & control; Female; Focus Groups; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Male; Middle Aged; Qualitative Research; Risk Reduction Behavior; Stakeholder Participation; Journal Article |
| Description: |
OBJECTIVES: Optimal dementia risk reduction requires a combination of individual- and population-level approaches. Societal stakeholders play a crucial role by raising awareness, supporting individual lifestyle change, and/or influencing certain risk factors through policy changes. This study aimed to identify relevant societal stakeholders for promoting dementia risk reduction, and explore perspectives regarding their role. METHODS: We used a qualitative approach with participatory research elements (i.e., collaborating with stakeholders in the research). An advisory panel of citizens (n = 14) was installed to provide input on various study aspects (e.g., study design and interpretation of findings). Thereafter, data collection involved two phases: 1) identification of potentially relevant societal stakeholders (based on advisory panel discussions, a conference workshop, and online searches); and 2) exploration of perspectives of participants from selected stakeholder domains, through 18 interviews and one focus group (total N = 32). We analysed data using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Phase 2 revealed that participants, such as religious leaders, labour service employees and board members of student associations, had limited knowledge and experienced little responsibility to act as a societal stakeholder in the context of dementia risk reduction. Rather, they called for policy and regulations to make dementia risk reduction efforts obligatory and a public priority. Participants recommended incorporating information on dementia and dementia risk in general health campaigns, rather than organising dementia-specific campaigns, and stressed the need to stimulate dementia risk reduction early in life. CONCLUSIONS: Effective dementia risk reduction could benefit from increased stakeholder involvement, as well as imposed policy-level risk reduction measures. Our findings also highlight the importance of including dementia in education and healthy lifestyle programmes from an early age. Future studies are needed to ... |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| File Description: |
application/pdf |
| Language: |
English |
| ISSN: |
1369-6513 |
| Relation: |
https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/469218 |
| Availability: |
https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/469218 |
| Rights: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.DF45BB55 |
| Database: |
BASE |