Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41966599›Full record

SynthesisThe journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease2026

Knowledge and perception of dementia risk and protective factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Muhammed L Sambou, Jolanda H M Dobbe, Elaine A C Albers, Kay Deckers, Lidia R Arends, M Arfan Ikram, Ellen M A Smets, Wichor M Bramer, Jeremy A Labrecque, Leonie N C Visser and 1 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Muhammed L SambouDepartment of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Jolanda H M DobbeDepartment of Medical Psychology, Amsterdam University Medical Center location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Quality of Care, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Ageing and later life, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Elaine A C AlbersDepartment of Medical Psychology, Amsterdam University Medical Center location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Kay DeckersAlzheimer Centre Limburg, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Mental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute (MHeNs), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Lidia R ArendsDepartment of Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
M Arfan IkramDepartment of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Ellen M A SmetsDepartment of Medical Psychology, Amsterdam University Medical Center location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Quality of Care, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Personalized medicine, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Wichor M BramerMedical Library, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Jeremy A LabrecqueDepartment of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Leonie N C VisserDepartment of Medical Psychology, Amsterdam University Medical Center location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Quality of Care, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Personalized medicine, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Bioethics and Health Humanities, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Frank J WoltersDepartment of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine and Alzheimer Center, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: f.j.wolters@erasmusmc.nl.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOptimal dementia risk reduction strategies benefit from sufficient public knowledge of risk factors and risk perception, but current public awareness is uncertain.

methodsIn a systematic literature review on public knowledge and perception of dementia risk factors, we searched relevant databases for original research articles until 2024. When possible, we pooled study results using random effects meta-analysis, and explored sources of heterogeneity through meta-regression. Qualitative studies and studies about risk perception were analysed using narrative synthesis.

findingsOf 4996 articles screened, 155 were eligible for inclusion. Of these, 125 reported on knowledge of risk factors and 50 on risk perception, jointly providing data from 164,644 participants in 41 countries across 6 continents. Recognition of the 28 queried risk and protective factors was moderate, somewhat higher for lifestyle factors (medians: 38.5-71.5%) than for cardiovascular (9.9-66.9%) and environmental (25.4-44.4%) factors, but with large heterogeneity across queried factors. With the exception of physical activity (71.5%, IQR:46.9-88.3%), social isolation (66.6% [23.7-84.0%]) and traumatic brain injury (65.0% [18.0-76.7%]), recognition of all established modifiable risk factors for dementia from prespecified lists was below 50%, lowest for education (19.5% [7.8-54.9%]), air pollution (25.4% [16.3-41.0%]), and obesity (30.4% [27.0-43.0%]). Recall of risk factors (7 studies) was markedly lower than recognition. Meta-regression analyses showed no consistent differences by year of publication, or by participants' age, gender, and educational attainment. Among 23 qualitative studies, limited knowledge emerged particularly regarding dementia-specific risk factors like hearing loss. Perceived risk was measured inconsistently across studies, but was generally moderate to high, along with notable worry about dementia in a large part of the older population.

conclusionsKnowledge of dementia risk and protective factors in the general population remains limited. These findings call for population-level interventions, including educational campaigns, to enhance preventive strategies.

Indexed as

DementiaHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansProtective FactorsRisk FactorsBehaviourCardiometabolic risk factorsEducationEnvironmentPrimary preventionPublic health

Identifiers

PMID41966599
PMCPMC13092043

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.