Abstract
Background: Brain health is one of the cornerstones of a long and full life. Active care for brain health and reduction of lifestyle-related risks for brain disorders may be a key strategy in tackling the growing prevalence of mental and neurological illnesses. Public knowledge, perception, and preventive behavior need to be considered in the planning of effective strategies for brain health promotion. Our research is the first effort aimed at assessing Slovenian lay public knowledge, search and use of scientific information about the brain, and care for brain health.Methods: An online survey was used to gather data for descriptive and associative statistical analyses of a sample of the Slovenian public (n = 2568) in August 2017. Participants with formal brain-related education were excluded, leaving the remaining sample of the lay public (n = 1012). Demographic characteristics and information regarding the perceived importance and knowledge of brain health and engagement in preventive behaviors of participants were collected, and key associative analyses were carried out.Results: The majority of respondents (89%) considered brain health to be important. Over one-third (39%) considered their knowledge of the brain as sufficient relative to their needs. Most of the respondents identified science-recommended practices to be important for brain health. No recommendation was followed daily by the majority of the respondents, primarily due to declared lack of time (59%), and lack of information (32%). Information was obtained primarily from television (38%), followed by newspapers and magazines (31%), the Internet (31%), and direct conversations (27%). However, the highest-rated, preferred source of information was lectured by experts. One-third of our sample struggled with the trustworthiness of information sources. Female gender and older age were associated with a higher frequency of healthy practices. Personal or familial diagnoses of brain disorders were not associated with a higher frequency of the behavior in favor of brain health, but did affect available time and perceived value of preventive practices.Conclusions: Our research provides an initial insight into the perceptions, knowledge, and brain health-promoting behavior of the Slovenian lay public. Our findings can inform future strategies for science communication, public education and engagement, and policy-making to improve lifelong active care for brain health.
Highlights
Brain health is an emerging concept without a universally accepted definition [1]
In 2016, neurological disorders were the second leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years [DALYs; calculated as the sum of years of life lost and years lived with disability (YLD)] globally [7]
In the past 30 years, the number of deaths caused by neurological disorders has risen by 39% and DALYs have risen by 15% [7]
Summary
Brain health is an emerging concept without a universally accepted definition [1]. The World Health Organization defines brain health as a concept encompassing neural development, plasticity, functioning, and recovery across the life course [2]. Various other definitions of brain health include preservation of cognitive functions and the absence of neurological disorders [1, 5]. Because brain disorders (BDs), manifested as neurological and mental illness, present a heavy global burden, and are a major cause of disability and death, long and full life is often not achieved [1, 6]. Due to population aging, the prevalence of brain disorders will continue to rise, which is of great concern for health systems around the world [7]. Financial burden of BDs was estimated at 7% of gross domestic product and approximately one-third of all health care costs in Slovenia [9]. Our research is the first effort aimed at assessing Slovenian lay public knowledge, search and use of scientific information about the brain, and care for brain health
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