Promoting cognitive health: A formative research collaboration of the healthy aging research network

Growing evidence suggests healthy lifestyles may help maintain cognitive health, and notably reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. The Healthy Aging Research Network (HAN), a group of 9 universities working collaboratively with their communities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is conducting formative research to design public health interventions. In 2005, the HAN began a four-year project to investigate: attitudes about healthy aging and cognitive health; language used to describe cognitive health issues; and attitudes about behaviors that have been associated with cognitive health. This symposium provides the study rationale, design, and methods, as well as results representing views of a wide diversity of Americans. We examined the literature on promoting cognitive health, convened a national research meeting of experts in cognitive health and public health interventions, identified research questions, developed common focus group protocols and a corresponding survey, recruited and conducted focus groups, and analyzed resulting data. For results reported in this symposium, we conducted 52 focus groups with 446 participants in 2005-2006, and 28 focus groups and in-depth interviews with 168 participants in 2006-2007. Focus groups were in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Vietnamese, and represented African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, Hispanics, non-Hispanic whites, caregivers, physicians, individuals with cognitive impairment, and rural and urban residents. The qualitative and quantitative data provide a wealth of opportunities for better understanding healthy aging in the context of cognitive health, and for designing effective public health interventions for promoting cognitive health among diverse populations.