A - 8 Tailored Education for Aging and Cognitive Health [TEACH]: Refining a Framework for Disclosing Personal Dementia Risk Information to Middle-Aged Adults

Abstract Objective To refine an explanatory framework for tailored education about dementia risk factors and personal health beliefs that are mediators of health behavior change, as part of a larger project to develop a multi-domain behavioral health intervention for dementia prevention in midlife. Methods We conducted a personal health assessment of modifiable dementia risk factors (Livingston et al, 2020) and health belief concepts from Science of Behavior Change Research Network (e.g., future time perspective, self-efficacy, deferment of gratification). Participants’ personalized data were presented to them individually followed by a semi-structured interview using a phenomenographic approach. Participant comments were summarized using applied thematic analysis; the most representative statements, trends, and differences were identified. Results We conducted 11 individual interviews (aged 49–69, 45% women, 100% non-Hispanic white). Participants found the experience of learning their personal dementia risk to be unsurprising and occasionally consoling. Participants demonstrated good understanding of health belief concepts, and they were able to draw connections between their health beliefs and engagement in brain health-relevant behaviors. Most participants agreed the information was clear and the visual aids were effective in displaying personal risk. There was not a clear preference between the presentation of health beliefs either by individuals strengths and weaknesses versus grouping them conceptually. Conclusions Using qualitative data from individual interviews, we refined an explanatory framework for disclosing middle-aged adults’ health beliefs and dementia risk. We will use these qualitative data to develop a personalized health education intervention and compare it to a basic health education program in a randomized controlled trial.