A new open-access perspective article titled “This also matters to me: what does adherence to dementia risk reduction interventions mean to members of the public?” has recently been published in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research. This publication represents a collaborative effort between three European research projects: EU-FINGERS, LETHE and Multi-MeMo and explores how people understand and experience adherence in the specific context of research-based multidomain lifestyle interventions to reduce dementia risk. Whilst several studies about adherence from the perspective of researchers have been published in the last decades, less is known about how the public, especially older adults, conceptualise and experience it.
The present article draws upon perspectives provided by members of Advisory Boards established in three EU-funded research projects linked to the multimodal FINGER intervention model, in which Alzheimer Europe (AE) has been leading the Public Involvement activities. The discussions involved 23 members of the public (lay people with and without dementia) from nine European countries. Feedback was grouped in three overarching themes: (1) “Baking your own cake” which highlights the relevance and understandings of adherence from members of the public; (2) “Striking a balance” which refers to the complexity and influencing factors linked to adherence; and (3) “A two-way process” which emphasises the involvement of members of the public and the importance of clear communication and appropriate support throughout the intervention process. AE Public Involvement Lead Ana Diaz, Public Involvement Officer Sarah Campill and Project Officer Cindy Birck are authors of the paper!