Interested volunteers will complete an eligibility screening to confirm this study is a good match. If they are eligible to participate, they will be randomised into one of two groups: CogCoach-Health Intervention or Email information. To ensure the research is fair and unbiased, the groups are chosen randomly – like pulling names from a hat.
CogCoach-Health Intervention: Participants will have access to a 12-week online course, consisting of six chapters about cognitive health and dementia risk factors, healthy diet, physical activity, social and cognitive engagement, and stress management. During these 12 weeks, participants will be offered two consultation sessions with a dietician and two with an exercise physiologist, one session with a researcher who has at least four years training in psychology or equivalent and continued phone support, access to a brain-training app and an exercise app. After the initial 12 weeks, participants will be offered up to two ‘booster’ sessions with the dietician and two with the exercise physiologist who will check in with them about their diet and exercise.
Email information: Participants will receive six fortnightly email bulletins about cognitive health and risk factors for dementia over a 12-week period. At the end of the study, access to the full CogCoach-Health online course will be provided, however consultations with a dietician, an exercise physiologist, or psychologist will not be offered, and continued phone support, and access to the brain-training app will not be available.
All participants will take part in four telephone or internet interviews, which involve answering questions about their lifestyle and cognitive function. Administration of these questionnaires and cognitive tasks will take place four times -before the start of the trail, straight after the initial 12-week period and again six‑months and one year later.
