Peer-reviewed article
Parental perspectives on brain health education for primary school-aged children: a cross-sectional study.
Montague LA, Catanzaro M, Siette J ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study surveyed 444 parents about their views on brain health education programs for primary school children. Most parents (83%) strongly supported such programs and believed they would be useful for their children's development and their own parenting. Parents identified key barriers like cost and non-engaging materials, and wanted programs that connect school learning to home activities with tailored, evidence-based content.
Key points
- 83% of parents endorsed brain health education for primary school-aged children
- 100% of parents perceived such a program as useful for their children; 99.5% perceived it as useful for themselves
- Higher program endorsement was associated with fewer perceived barriers and greater perceived usefulness for child development
- Parents identified barriers including cost and non-engaging materials, and facilitators including valuing healthy ageing and use of evidence-based information
- Parents emphasized the need for comprehensive, tailored programs with explicit strategies to connect school-based learning to the home
Limitations
The study surveyed only urban and suburban parents who were 95% female with a mean age of 40.6, limiting generalizability to diverse populations. The study examined parental perspectives and willingness but did not evaluate the actual implementation or outcomes of any brain health education program.
Abstract
Background Up to 45% of dementia risk is considered modifiable across the life course. Research demonstrates that exposure to education in childhood can increase positive brain health outcomes in later life. While mid- and late-life educational interventions have been extensively studied, there is limited empirical evidence examining the appropriateness of education programs, including prevention approaches initiated in childhood, particularly those delivered through schools and supported by families. Understanding parental perspectives provides insights into how early-life brain health programs can be implemented. This study explored parental views and willingness to engage in primary school-based brain health educational programs and identified perceived barriers, facilitators, and preferred program components. Methods Urban and suburban parents (N = 444, Mean age = 40.6, SD = 5.5, 95% female) of primary school-aged children participated in an online survey on program appropriateness, usefulness, barriers and preferred content, delivery modalities, and features. Descriptive statistics and a multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify sociodemographic factors associated with program acceptance. Content analysis was used to analyze open-ended responses. Results Most participants endorsed brain health education for their primary school-aged children (83%), with all perceiving a prospective program as useful for their children (100%) and almost all for themselves as parents (99.5%). Higher program endorsement was associated with fewer perceived barriers and greater perceived usefulness for child development and parenting practices (p < 0.001). Three main themes were identified: Family and program barriers (e.g., cost, non-engaging materials), family and program facilitators (e.g., valuing healthy ageing, use of evidence-based information) and the need for tailored programs with integrated involvement (e.g., home and school). Conclusion Parents strongly valued education on brain-healthy behaviors and described childhood as a promising window for dementia risk reduction for their children. Future programs should be comprehensive, engaging and tailored, with explicit strategies to connect school-based learning into the home. These findings contribute to the growing life-course risk reduction agenda.