The impact of air pollution on dementia and preventive measures in China: A qualitative study

Background: Despite research identifying a possible association between air pollution exposure and dementia risk, no study has investigated the perceptions, knowledge, attitude, and experiences of the caregivers of people with dementia on this topic. This article presents an investigation of the dementia caregivers on the association in China, and the healthcare professionals’ perception on measures to reduce the impact of air pollution on dementia. Method: A qualitative study design comprising two focus group discussions was used. The focus groups were conducted guided by semi-structured guides: one with five caregivers and the other with six health professionals. The focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed. Each transcript was analyzed using thematic analysis where codes were generated and assigned by two researchers independently. Similar codes were then grouped and categorized into themes. Results: While some participants thought that pollution may be associated with the risk of developing dementia, they felt the need to discuss the dementia diagnosis process, which indirectly reflected knowledge of dementia prevention among the general population in China. Most participants considered that the association between air pollution and dementia was indirect. Caregivers and family members appeared to have limited knowledge on dementia prevention. Health professionals identified several modifiable preventive measures to mitigate against the impact of pollution on dementia but identified several challenges of sharing this knowledge with the public and eventually changing people’s behaviors. Conclusions: Low awareness of dementia and high stigma around dementia must be overcome to help preventive measures against air pollution and dementia in China. Strengthening policy formulation and global cooperation is an important measure to tackle air pollution and its impact on dementia.