Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 May 31:7334648251345191.
doi: 10.1177/07334648251345191. Online ahead of print.

Self-Efficacy is Key: Examining the Role of Motivation to Engage in Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors for Dementia Prevention in Midlife

Stephanie M Simone  1 , Marina Kaplan  1 , Tania Giovannetti  1
Affiliations

Self-Efficacy is Key: Examining the Role of Motivation to Engage in Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors for Dementia Prevention in Midlife

Stephanie M Simone et al. J Appl Gerontol. .

Abstract

Modifiable risk factors account for nearly half of dementia cases, with the greatest impact on dementia prevention in midlife. Little is known about what motivates middle-aged adults to engage in healthy behaviors for dementia risk reduction. This study examined associations between motivation to make lifestyle changes for dementia risk reduction and engagement in health behaviors associated with dementia risk in 347 middle-aged adults. Multivariate linear regressions examined associations between motivation and engagement in health behaviors. Greater self-efficacy and higher education significantly predicted greater physical and cognitive activity and better sleep quality. Greater perceived barriers and general health motivation, lower self-efficacy, and younger age significantly predicted greater perceived loneliness. Self-efficacy consistently predicted engagement in health behaviors associated with dementia risk reduction in midlife. Thus, incorporating empirically supported strategies to increase self-efficacy in lifestyle interventions for dementia prevention may increase long-term adherence and overall success of dementia prevention efforts.

Keywords: dementia prevention; health behaviors; midlife; motivation; self-efficacy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interest: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

References

    1. 2024 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. (2024). Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 20(5), 3708–3821. 10.1002/alz.13809 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018). APA Dictionary of Psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/motivation
    1. Akyol MA, Zehirlioğlu L, Erünal M, Mert H, Hatipoğlu NŞ, & Küçükgüçlü Ö (2020). Determining middle-aged and older adults’ health beliefs to change lifestyle and health behavior for dementia risk reduction. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias, 35. 10.1177/1533317519898996 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Andrieu S, Guyonnet S, Coley N, Cantet C, Bonnefoy M, Bordes S, Bories L, Cufi MN, Dantoine T, Dartigues JF, Desclaux F, Gabelle A, Gasnier Y, Pesce A, Sudres K, Touchon J, Robert P, Rouaud O, Legrand P, … Olivier-Abbal P (2017). Effect of long-term omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation with or without multidomain intervention on cognitive function in elderly adults with memory complaints (MAPT): A randomised, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet Neurology, 16(5), 377–389. 10.1016/S1474-4422(17)30040-6 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bandura A (1991). Self-efficacy mechanism in physiological activation and health-promoting behaviour. In Madden J IV (Ed.) Neurobiology of learning, emotion, and affect (pp.229–269). Raven Press.

LinkOut - more resources