Results of the ‘We are the medicine’ awareness campaign: more knowledge of dementia prevention

The ‘We are the medicine’ campaign focused on practical ways to keep the brain healthy, such as getting enough exercise, eating healthily, staying socially active and protecting one’s hearing. Throughout the year, activities were organised via a network of campaign supporters in areas including South Limburg and Groningen. These included public lectures, posters displayed in bus shelters, and the opportunity for visitors in various municipalities to take an informative walk through an inflatable giant brain. The free MijnBreincoach app was also used. This gives users insight into their own lifestyle and practical tips to improve their brain health.

To investigate the impact of the campaign, researchers from the Alzheimer Centre Limburg carried out an evaluation study. Through health panels run by the public health service in the campaign regions of South Limburg and Groningen, a random group of people aged between 40 and 75 were surveyed before and after the campaign about their knowledge of risk factors for dementia and their willingness to change their lifestyle. Around 2,000 people completed the questionnaire prior to the campaign, and around 1,500 people responded to the call for the post-campaign survey.

The results show that many people are already well aware that they themselves can influence their risk of dementia. Both before and after the campaign, around 70 per cent of participants indicated that they believe they can do something themselves to reduce the risk. A majority also know that remaining mentally, physically and socially active is important for good brain health.

At the same time, knowledge of specific risk factors increased further during the campaign period. By the end of the campaign, 11 of the 15 risk factors examined were recognised more frequently than in the baseline survey. More than half of the participants now know that not only smoking, alcohol consumption and diet influence the risk of dementia, but also factors such as depression, high blood pressure and diabetes. It remains less well known that cardiovascular disease, hearing problems and chronic kidney disease can also increase the risk.

“These results show that many people already know that lifestyle is important for brain health, but also that a targeted campaign helps to raise awareness of lesser-known risk factors,” says lead researcher Sebastian Köhler. “It is precisely this awareness that is important, as it gives people the tools to make healthy choices sooner.”

A key objective of the campaign was to better engage with people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and those with a migrant background. This was because a previous campaign in 2018 had shown that these groups were not being reached as effectively.

For this reason, the campaign messages and materials were adapted in advance in collaboration with residents and local organisations. For instance, the researchers developed messages that could be easily shared via WhatsApp and collaborated with key figures in the neighbourhood.

This approach appears to have been effective. In the campaign regions of South Limburg and Groningen, awareness grew, particularly among people on low or middle incomes and among participants with a migrant background, that they themselves can influence their risk of dementia.

“By working together with people and organisations from the region, we were able to tailor the campaign more effectively to the lives of different target groups,” says Sebastian Köhler. “That is essential if you want information about brain health to reach everyone.”

Based on the experiences gained from this and previous campaigns, a roadmap has now been developed to enable other local authorities and public health services in the Netherlands to roll out the campaign. As a next step, the researchers aim to work even more closely with the local authorities. “We want to make neighbourhoods in Limburg brain-healthy. Not just by disseminating information, but also by providing targeted support to help people make healthy choices. Think, for example, of a consultation with a GP, guidance from a lifestyle coach, or regular exercise sessions or activities at the community centre. In short, there is still much more to be achieved,” says Köhler.

This article was previously published on the Maastricht UMC+ website.