A Goal-Setting with Mentoring Lifestyle Modification Intervention to Reduce Risk of Dementia in Later Life

Lifestyle factors playing a role in the development of late-life cognitive decline may be modifiable. There is a need for robust evidence about the potential for prevention of cognitive decline through behavior change interventions.This is a 5-year project. In the 1st year of this study, a pilot randomized controlled trial evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of a goal-setting behavior change intervention aim at reducing modifiable risk factors for preventing cognitive decline. The aim of 2nd to 5th year of this study to investigate whether this multidomain intervention to optimize self-management of cognitive decline risk factors in older individuals, delivered through a mentor- supported interactive internet platform, can reduce the risk of cognitive decline.This study involves the development, implementation and initial testing of a behavior change intervention. At the 1st year, a small-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) will investigate the implementation of a goal-setting intervention aim at promoting behavior change of personal modifiable risks for cognitive decline in the community for ＞55 years with at least one of the 7 modifiable risk factors for dementia. These older participants in the community (n?=?100) will be randomized to either control (had a discussion regarding health and daily activity) or goal-setting with mentoring (the goal-setting interview involving identification of up to five personal goals of personal modifiable risks). All participants will be reassessed after 12?months. The 2nd to the 5th year, is a multisite, prospective, RCT with 36 months intervention. Recruitment of 300 older people (?55 years) with at least one of the 7 modifiable risk factors for dementia will take place in Northern Taiwan. Participants randomised to the intervention condition will have access to an interactive internet platform, stimulating self-management of dementia risk factors, with remote mentoring by a mentor.The primary outcome variables are cognition (MMSE & MoCA), and objective parameters (systolic blood pressure, low-density-lipoprotein, fasting blood sugar, and body mass index/waist-hip ratio; and the secondary outcomes include modifiable risk score of dementia, PASE, SFT, MEDAS, GDS-15, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and CASP-19.χ2 tests for categorical variables and t-test for continuous variables will evaluate differences between the baseline data for the experimental and control groups. The mixed model / Generalized estimating equation statistics will be conducted to examine the effectiveness of the interventions to improve outcome variables when compare with the control groups using inferential statistics on repeated measures.The results of this study can help community health care providers in Taiwan to identify the modifiable risks of dementia and tailor the interventions for older adults to prevent them from cognitive decline. Also, the eHealth increases opportunities for large-scale delivery of prevention programs encouraging self-management.

Project ID:PC10708-1225
External Project ID:MOST107-2314-B182-008