This document discusses Alzheimer's disease (AD) as a major public health problem in Australia. It is the second leading cause of death and affects about 30% of those over 85. The aging population means costs associated with AD will rise dramatically to $16.7 billion by 2036. Nearly 70% of Australian adults are sedentary, increasing their risk of AD. Modifiable risk factors include physical inactivity, smoking, obesity, and diabetes. The goal is to increase access to physical exercise for sedentary workers aged 40-45 in Sydney to reduce AD risk. Evidence shows physical activity can improve brain health and reduce AD risk. The proposed intervention includes a workplace physical activity program and education on exercise benefits.

1. Alzheimer's diseaseAlejandra Siachico
(ExerciseRight, 2018)

2. Burden of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and why is a public
heath problem?
It is the second cause of of death in the Australian population after
cardiovascular diseases (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare,
2017) and majorly affecting the eldest population.
Three in ten people over 85 years of age will develop dementia and
70% of them will develop AD (Dementia Australia, 2018).
The increasing ageing population and the increment of AD will
directly costs to the public health system around 16.7 billion by 2036,
and it will keep increasing while population still ageing (Brown,
Hasnata & La, 2017)
Nearly of 70% of Australian adults are either sedentary or have a low
level of physical activity, directly impacting the development of AD
(Department of Health, 2017).

3. Risk, protective and enabling factors of Alzheimer’s
disease
Modifiable risk factors Unmodifiable risk
factors
Alcohol and Tobacco abuse Age
Poor diet and lack of
physical exercise
Individual’s genes
Diabetes type 2 Gender
Midlife obesity and
hypertension
Social and cognitive
inactivity
Enabler Factors Protective Factors
Access to health services Healthy diet and a constant
physical activity
Education and information
about Alzheimer's disease
Higher education and social
networks
And public awareness of
Alzheimer's disease
Activities that promotes
cognition
(Jaffe, 2018) (Travers, Martin-Khan & Lie, 2009) (Paillard, Rolland & Barreto, 2015)

4. The Goal and Objectives in preventing Alzheimer's disease
• “ To increase the proportion of health adults between 40 to 45 years
of age and living at Sydney who are working in sedentary workplaces
to have access to vigorous physical exercise for 150 minutes per week
during their working hours”
To increase the proportion of sedentary workers around 40 to 45
years of age who are living at Sydney in the importance of physical
exercise for the prevention of AD
To increase the proportion of the awareness in sedentary workplaces
about the need of an vigorous physical activity program during
working hours for the prevention of AD
To improve the accessibility of gym memberships and physical
instructors or public spaces nearby to sedentary workplaces to
perform physical activities for the prevention of AD

5. The current evidence
The result of physical activity in mature adults (50 to 80 years of age) can
increase the brain’s blood flow and metabolic rate, inhibit hippocampal cell
loss and therefore reduce the risk of developing AD (Beckett, Ardern &
Rotondi, 2015)
Physical exercise it is often proposed as a way to prevent cognitive decline
and reduce the risk of developing AD (Brasure et al., 2017)
People who participate in regular physical exercise around 150 hours per
week benefits in cognitive performance and reduce their risk of developing
dementia (Etnier, 2015)
People who were part of an aerobic physical activity intervention
regardless they inherited factor for developing AD showed a lower risk of
developing dementia compared to the group who did not received the
intervention (Etnier, 2015)

6. The proposed intervention
Intervention Type Description of the intervention
component
Activities
• As the primary intervention, the
lack of physical exercise will be
the input as a modifiable risk
factor. Therefore, physical
activity program will be
promoted for healthy adults
between 40 to 45 years of age
who are working in sedentary
workplaces at Sydney for the
prevention of AD.
• Consisting of a community-
based strategy, including the
physical exercise intervention in
the community as its main
setting
• A range of vigorous physical
activities promoted in
workplaces during working
hours
• Work closely with gym
partnerships and provide
affordable gym memberships
nearby to workplaces
• And plan a strategy to get
fitness equipment access and
spaces inside of workplaces.
• vigorous physical activities such
as jogging, running, elliptical
and treadmill
• The facilitation of physical
instructors for mentoring and
motivation in the engagement
of physical activities
• Provision of informative sessions
in workplaces about the
benefits of physical exercise in
the reduction of the
development of AD

7. References
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2017). Life Expectancy and Deaths. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-
statistics/health-conditions-disability-deaths/life-expectancy-deaths/overview
• Beckett, M. W., Ardern, C. I., & Rotondi, M. A. (2015). A meta-analysis of prospective studies on the role of physical activity and the
prevention of alzheimer's disease in older adults. BMC Geriatrics, 15(1), 9-9. doi:10.1186/s12877-015-0007-2
• Brasure, M., Hemmy, L. S., Barclay, T. R., Butler, M., Ratner, E., McCarten, J. R., . . . Kane, R. L. (2018). Physical activity interventions in
preventing cognitive decline and alzheimer-type dementia: A systematic review.(report)(author abstract). Annals of Internal Medicine,
168(1), 30. doi:10.7326/M17-1528
• Brown, L., Hansnata, E., La, H. (2017). Economic Cost of Dementia in Australia 2016-2056. NATSEM at the Institute for Governance and
Policy Analysis, University of Canberra [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www.dementia.org.au/files/NATIONAL/documents/The-economic-cost-
of-dementia-in-Australia-2016-to-2056.pdf
• Dementia Australia. (2018). Alzheimer's Disease. Retrieved from https://www.dementia.org.au/about-dementia/types-of-
dementia/alzheimers-disease
• Etnier, J. L., & Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC. (2015). Physical activity in the
prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Kinesiology Review, 4(1), 28-38. doi:10.1123/kr.2014-0075
• ExerciseRigh. (2018). Dementia and Alzheimer's disease and Exercise. Retrieved from http://exerciseright.com.au/dementia-alzheimers-
disease/
• Han, J., & Han, S. (2014). Primary prevention of alzheimer's disease: Is it an attainable goal? Journal of Korean Medical Science, 29(7), 886-
892. doi:10.3346/jkms.2014.29.7.886
• Paillard, T., Rolland, Y., & de Souto Barreto, P. (2015). Protective effects of physical exercise in alzheimer's disease and parkinson's disease: A
narrative review. Journal of Clinical Neurology, 11(3), 212-219. doi:10.3988/jcn.2015.11.3.212
• The Department of Health. (2017). Research and Statistics. Retrieved from
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/health-pubhlth-strateg-active-evidence.htm
• Travers, C., Martin-Khan, M., & Lie, D. (2009). Barriers and enablers of health promotion, prevention and early intervention in primary care:
Evidence to inform the australian national dementia strategy. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 28(2), 51-57. doi:10.1111/j.1741-
6612.2009.00359.x
• Yaffe, K. (2018). Modifiable risk factors and prevention of dementia: What is the latest evidence? JAMA Internal Medicine, 178(2), 281.