Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41034806›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Awareness, facilitators, barriers, and behaviours surrounding brain health: a large-scale cross-sectional survey of adults across UK and Ireland.

R F Townsend, O M Shannon, E Stevenson, C Ritchie, A M Minihane, P Devine, S Casey, N Fullerton, I Leroi, B Lawlor and 4 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

R F TownsendCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
O M ShannonHuman Nutrition & Exercise Research Centre, Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
E StevensonSchool of Biomedical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
C RitchieDepartment of Medicine, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, UK.
A M MinihaneNutrition and Preventive Medicine Group, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
P DevineSchool of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
S CaseyAge NI , Belfast, Northern Ireland.
N FullertonBrain Health Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
I LeroiGlobal Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
B LawlorGlobal Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
R O'SullivanInstitute of Public Health, Dublin, Ireland.
B McGuinnessCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
J V WoodsideCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
C T McEvoyCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland. c.mcevoy@qub.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlmost half of all dementia cases could theoretically be delayed or prevented by addressing risk factors at the population level. However, dementia risk reduction requires awareness of, and action on, modifiable risk factors. This study aimed to explore public awareness of brain health, and the facilitators for, and barriers to, engaging in preventative action to reduce dementia risk, across the UK and Ireland.

methodsThe Brain Health and Lifestyle Survey (BHLS) was a co-developed and evidence-informed online survey, underpinned by behaviour change frameworks. The BHLS was distributed via convenience sampling to individuals aged ≥ 40 years living in the UK and Ireland. It comprised 31 main questions on awareness, beliefs and behaviour change surrounding brain health and took approximately 20-25 min to complete. Ethical approval was obtained from Queen's University Belfast [Ref: MHLS20_162].

resultsA total of 6816 respondents (75% UK; 25% Ireland) completed the BHLS between February and June 2021. Most respondents were aged 50-74 years (78%), female (79%), white (99%), overweight (59%) and highly educated (64%). The majority of respondents rated their brain health as good (79%) and there was high awareness of protective factors, including cognitively stimulating activities (91%) and physical exercise (88%). However, awareness of risk factors such as hypertension (62%), midlife obesity (61%), air pollution (50%) and hearing loss (35%) was lower. Awareness differed according to demographic factors, with lower awareness among respondents aged 40-49 years, and those with lower educational attainment. The identified barriers to adopting a brain-healthy lifestyle were implementing changes which were not enjoyable (44%), lack of self-motivation (33%), and a lack of trusted information (27%). Facilitators for adopting a brain-healthy lifestyle included: noticing problems with brain health (70%) and receiving personalised advice (51%).

conclusionUnderstanding of brain health and dementia risk reduction was variable in this large sample of UK and Irish citizens. There were identified gaps in awareness of risk factors relating to cardiometabolic health, hearing loss, and air pollution. These findings highlight the need for credible sources of accessible and relevant information to improve awareness and behaviours surrounding brain health.

Indexed as

DementiaHealth BehaviorHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansIrelandMaleMiddle AgedRisk FactorsSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited KingdomBrain healthCross-sectionalDementia risk reductionHealth promotionLifestyleSurvey

Identifiers

PMID41034806
PMCPMC12487460

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.