Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Aug 1, 2023
Date Accepted: Feb 9, 2024
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Initial perspectives of a digital cognitive health coaching intervention: Results of a qualitative thematic analysis with rural-residing adults
ABSTRACT
Background:
Health coaching interventions have been linked to decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) comorbidities such as diabetes. Despite the association, there is a lack of research examining the efficacy and perception of digital health coaching on AD prevention.
Objective:
Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine initial attitudes towards a digital health coaching intervention focused on the prevention of cognitive decline.
Methods:
This qualitative study is part of the ongoing Digital Cognitive Multi-domain Alzheimer’s Risk Velocity Study (DC-MARVel; Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04559789), a 2-year digital health coaching intervention focused on dementia risk, cognitive decline, and general health outcomes. At the time of the analysis, participants completed an average of 4 coaching sessions over a 4-month time period. A thematic analysis was conducted using feedback from 80 participants (mean age 64.20).
Results:
Four themes emerged from participants’ feedback: 1) healthy lifestyle behavior changes 2) value in coach support 3) a sense of self-awareness through introspection and 4) a desire for a change in program format (e.g., frequency). Ninety-three percent of participants expressed no changes were needed for the intervention.
Conclusions:
Digital cognitive health coaching was well-received by participants as evidenced by their reported positive mental and behavior changes. Feedback about their assigned coach also offers insight into the importance of the coach-participant relationship and may serve as a significant factor in overall participant success. Clinical Trial: NCT04559789
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