This research examined an online educational program called Brain Health PRO (BHPro), which is designed to help people live healthier lifestyles and reduce their risk of developing dementia. Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental abilities, such as memory and thinking, that is severe enough to interfere with a person's daily life. The program, which is 45 weeks long and available in English and French, focuses on seven "modifiable risk factors." These are habits and health conditions that individuals can potentially change or manage to lower their chances of developing dementia.
The seven areas covered by the BHPro program are:
- Physical activity: Staying active through exercise.
- Cognitive engagement: Keeping the brain active and challenged with activities like learning or puzzles.
- Nutrition: The types of food and drink a person consumes.
- Sleep: The quality and amount of sleep a person gets.
- Social and psychological health: A person's emotional well-being and connections with others.
- Vascular health: The health of the body's network of blood vessels, which is affected by conditions like high blood pressure.
- Vision and hearing: The health of a person's sight and hearing abilities.
When a person starts the BHPro program, they fill out a short questionnaire. Based on their answers, the program creates a personalized profile that highlights their specific risk areas. This profile helps them set priorities and goals, and they receive continuous feedback as they move through the program.
The purpose of this specific study was to test the program over a 12-week period. Researchers wanted to understand its "usability," which means how easy and user-friendly it was, and its "perceived benefits," meaning what the participants felt they gained from using it.
To do this, researchers recruited eight older adults (four male and four female, aged 68 to 83) from across Canada who were living independently in their communities. These participants used the BHPro program as part of a trial run, or "pilot test." The researchers gathered feedback by holding online group discussions, called virtual focus groups, with the participants after they had used the program for six weeks and again after 12 weeks. The conversations from these focus groups were written down and analyzed to find common patterns and ideas, which were then organized into themes.
The analysis revealed three main themes in the participants' feedback:
- Content: Participants reported that they liked the program's information, found it easy to access, and considered it informative.
- Mechanics: This theme relates to the technical aspects of the program. Participants felt comfortable using the technology, said the program's features were useful, and enjoyed the spoken narration and visual graphics.
- Engagement and Learning: This theme covers how the program affected the users. Participants stated that the program increased their motivation, taught them new information, and led them to make changes in their daily behaviors. They also expressed a desire for continuous feedback on their progress.
In conclusion, the participants in this trial had positive experiences with the BHPro program's online material and its user interface. They reported gaining new knowledge and making positive behavioral changes. A key suggestion for improving the program was to make it even more personalized to each user's individual needs. The pilot test showed that the older adults who used BHPro found it to be a usable, engaging, and beneficial platform. These findings provide information on how online tools can be used to help people support their own brain health.
