Gerontologist. 2023 Sep 24:gnad130. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnad130. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Recent decades have seen exponential growth in research on modifiable risk factors for dementia across the lifespan which has considerably advanced our understanding of brain health. Not all modifiable risk factors are equal, however, in the ease with which they can be addressed. Some individuals and populations face significant barriers to engaging in dementia risk-reduction behaviors. With the evolution of the dementia prevention field, there is a need to broaden our approach from identifying individual risk-factors towards addressing inclusive and globally effective intervention strategies. Here, we argue for a greater awareness of individual and socioeconomic barriers to behavior change oriented dementia risk-reduction. We caution against inadvertently increasing health inequities through “lifestyle” stigma and call for an approach which both harnesses current dementia risk-reduction knowledge and effectively addresses barriers to change. A greater focus on more positive aspects of reducing dementia risk, such as enhancing mental wellbeing, may also be beneficial. Evidence for the negative ramifications of stigma in dementia is discussed as well as overly simplistic media representations of dementia as a disease which one can “stave off” through lifestyle. Further, we explore potential negative implications for research funding and policy resulting from stigma. More research regarding the experience of stigma in dementia is needed, across diverse cultural and socio-economic groups.

PMID:37742313 | DOI:10.1093/geront/gnad130