Systematic review: role of health promotion in vascular dementia

Abstract

price rs & keady j (2010) Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness 2 , 88–101 Systematic review: role of health promotion in vascular dementia Aims. This narrative synthesis of the literature investigates the areas of vascular dementia and modifiable risk factors in order to identify the evidence base and opportunities for specific health promotion work and nursing involvement. Background. Strategies for well‐being, prevention and health promotion are becoming increasingly important determinants of a quality dementia care service. In England, this emphasis is manifest in the recently launched National Dementia Strategy (February 2009) and areas that address modifiable vascular risk factors are helpful starting points for the enactment of such goals. Design and methods. A comprehensive search strategy identified primary and secondary search terms that were used systematically in order to search for relevant information and literature; 128 articles were finally included in the overall design and these were broken down into 116 articles obtained through the formal search process using the online databases and 12 articles from the ‘grey literature’. Results. A narrative synthesis of the included material generated a thematic framework that revealed four discrete but overlapping themes: vascular risk factors (1); prevention and reduction of vascular risk factors (2); treatment and intervention in vascular dementia (3); and vascular health promotion (4). Relevance to clinical practice. Nursing is in a prime position to undertake health promotion initiatives in modifiable risk behaviours in vascular dementia, an approach that should be commenced for the general population in mid‐life (50 years and over).