Self-Reported Behavior Change and Predictors of Engagement With a Multidomain Brain Health Intervention for Midlife and Older Adults: A Pilot Clinical Trial

Abstract

Objectives This study evaluated the efficacy of a multidomain brain health intervention on health behavior change and sought to understand whether health literacy or brain health knowledge predicted engagement with the intervention. Methods One-hundred thirty midlife and older adults were assigned to one of three intervention conditions: brain fitness (B-Fit) utilizing education and goal setting, education-only, or waitlist. Questionnaires were completed at baseline and post-intervention. Results Both B-Fit and education-only conditions reported improvements in health behaviors over time. Although effect size for the education-only condition was moderate, only the B-Fit condition differed significantly in health behaviors from the waitlist post-intervention. Lower baseline brain health knowledge predicted improvements in health behaviors for education-only condition. Discussion The multidomain brain health intervention was successful in helping participants change their behaviors, but it was not more effective than the education-only condition. For those with lower brain health knowledge, an education-only intervention may be sufficient to encourage behavior change.

One-Year Impact of a Multidomain Brain Health Intervention on Cognition and Behavior Change for Midlife and Older Adults: A Pilot Clinical Trial

“…Despite this change, both cohorts were provided with the same educational information that focused on the same eight topics. No meaningful cohort differences were found in data from this study nor in Boyd and colleagues study [10] .…”

“…In prior work with a pilot multidomain intervention, called B-Fit (Brain Fitness), we found that, unlike waitlist controls, the B-Fit and education-only conditions self-reported engaging in significantly more healthy brain aging behaviors post-training. Furthermore, compared to waitlist controls, B-Fit participants self-reported significantly higher post-training engagement in positive health behaviors [10] . In the current study, we focused on whether behavior change was sustained at one-year and any cognitive benefits associated with the intervention.…”

“…The study purpose is to assess for (a) sustained behavior change as a result of the intervention, (b) cognitive benefits of the intervention, (c) intention to continue or increase health behaviors at follow-up testing, and (d) changes in self-efficacy for engaging in healthy brain aging behaviors. Although both the B-Fit and education-only participants demonstrated significant behavior change immediately post-training [10] , we hypothesized that there would be differences between these groups at one-year follow-up. Given that B-Fit participants were provided with psychoeducation on goal setting, goal monitoring, and goal modifying, we hypothesized that participants in the B-Fit condition would self-report engaging in more health behaviors at one-year post-intervention compared to both the education-only group and the waitlist control condition.…”