Dementia Risk Reduction in Practice: The Knowledge, Opinions and Perspectives of Australian Healthcare Providers

Introduction The aim of this paper was to assess Australian primary healthcare providers’ perspectives and knowledge about dementia risk factors and risk reduction. Methods Primary healthcare providers were recruited through Primary Health Networks across Australia (N = 51). Participants completed an online survey that consisted of fixed-response and free-text components to assess their knowledge, attitudes and current practices relating to dementia risk factors and risk reduction techniques. Results The survey results showed that over 85% of participants agree that quitting smoking, increasing physical activity, increasing social activity, and treating diabetes can help to reduce the risk of developing dementia. The top suggestions for dementia risk reduction by Australian primary healthcare providers included living a healthy lifestyle (36%), managing cardiovascular risk (17%), and cognitive stimulation (14%). The primary barriers identified for working with patients to reduce dementia risk included low patient motivation and healthcare system level limitations. The most common recommendations were increasing resources and improving dementia awareness and messaging. Conclusions Collaborative efforts between researchers, media, clinicians, and policy makers are likely needed to support the uptake of risk reduction activities into primary care settings.