Dataset Information

An Australian survey of cognitive health beliefs, intentions, and behaviours through the adult life course.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Information is required regarding cognitive health beliefs and behaviours from across the life in order to inform the design of interventions to optimise cognitive health and reduce the risk of cognitive impairment.

Methods

A survey of Australian adults aged 20-89 was administered via Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) software to respondents recruited by random digit dialling (N = 900). Socio-demographic and self-reported health information was collected to investigate associations with cognitive health responses.

Results

Alcohol abuse was nominated by the highest proportion of respondents (34.3%) as detrimental for brain health. Fewer than 5% nominated elevated cholesterol, blood pressure, obesity, poor education, or ageing. The most frequently endorsed protective activity was socialising (70%). Socio-demographic factors predicted responses. Age-group differences were apparent in the proportions nominating alcohol (X(2) = 24.2; p < .001), drugs (X(2) = 56.8; p < .001), smoking (X(2) = 13.1; p = .001), nutrition (X(2) = 20.4; p < .001), and mental activity (X(2) = 12.8; p = .002) as relevant to brain health. Activities undertaken for cognitive benefit also differed by age. Across all ages the perceived benefit of activities was not supported by intentions to undertake activities.

Conclusions

Interventions are needed to inform and motivate people across the life-course to undertake behaviours specifically to optimise their cognitive health.

SUBMITTER: Hosking DE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4721299 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

An Australian survey of cognitive health beliefs, intentions, and behaviours through the adult life course.

Hosking Diane E DE Sargent-Cox Kerry A KA Anstey Kaarin J KJ

Preventive medicine reports 20150612

<h4>Objective</h4>Information is required regarding cognitive health beliefs and behaviours from across the life in order to inform the design of interventions to optimise cognitive health and reduce the risk of cognitive impairment.<h4>Methods</h4>A survey of Australian adults aged 20-89 was administered via Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) software to respondents recruited by random digit dialling (N = 900). Socio-demographic and self-reported health information was collected to ...[more]

PMID: 26844109

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Project description:ObjectivesWhile shared decision making (SDM) promotes health-related decisions that are informed, value-based and adhered to, few studies report on theory-based approaches to SDM adoption by healthcare professionals. We aimed to identify the factors influencing dietitians' intentions to adopt two SDM behaviours: 1) present dietary treatment options to patients and 2) help patients clarify their values and preferences.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional postal survey based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour among 428 randomly selected dietitians working in clinical practice across the Province of Quebec, Canada. We performed descriptive analyses and multiple regression analyses to determine the variables that explained the variance in intention to perform the behaviours.ResultsA total of 203 dietitians completed the questionnaire. Their ages were from 23 to 66 and they had been practising dietetics for 15.4±11.1 years (mean ± SD). On a scale from 1 to 7 (from strongly disagree to strongly agree), dietitians' intentions to present dietary treatment options and to clarify their patients' values and preferences were 5.00±1.14 and 5.68±0.74, respectively. Perceived behavioural control (??=?0.56, ?<0.0001), subjective norm (??=?0.16, ?<0.05), and moral norm (??=?0.22, ?<0.0001), were the factors significantly predicting the intention to present dietary treatment options, while perceived behavioural control (??=?0.60, ?<0.0001), attitude (??=?0.20, ?<0.05), and professional norm (??=?0.22, ?<0.001), significantly predicted the intention to help patients' clarify their values and preferences.ConclusionOur results showed that dietitians intend to adopt the two SDM behaviours studied. Factors influencing intention were different for each behaviour, except for perceived behavioural control which was common to both behaviours. Thus, perceived behavioural control could be a key factor in interventions aiming to encourage implementation of SDM by dietitians.

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Dataset Information

An Australian survey of cognitive health beliefs, intentions, and behaviours through the adult life course.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

An Australian survey of cognitive health beliefs, intentions, and behaviours through the adult life course.

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