Table 2.

Supportive quotations for interview themes

Theme	Example supportive quotations
Being informed to enable change	I guess I realize that [to prevent] dementia you need to, it needs to be care of your body, physical, mental, spiritual, anything that can assist to keep abreast of what’s happening. Just keeping a good wellbeing. I guess that’s as far as I’ve got. (F, 73) I think the things that would help with dementia would be things not just aerobic or strength, I suppose they do, but like dancing where your brain is involved kind of. I don’t know, maybe your brain is involved in other stuff as well. (F, 72) Trying to find out more about it, watching television programs that have dealt with dementia. (F, 73) I use it [the internet] all the time for everything  . . .  always googling something. (F, 53) I guess if I knew that there was a certain amount of exercise would have a positive impact on dementia prevention and what sort of exercise, maybe it’s any exercise. More education about that might motivate me. (F, 51)
Skills and confidence to make and enact intentions are vital	So I don’t know what can get me from the willingness to the doing. (F, 51) The anxiety thing of starting something new can be incredibly overwhelming. (F, 65) It [depressive symptoms] sort of paints a negative wash in your brain, and you think, ‘Well, I know I ought to be doing this,’ or, ‘I ought to be eating that way,’ or, ‘I ought to be exercising today,’ but when one gets into such a frame of mind, you know you can go for help, you know what to do in order to help these things, but there’s something about that period of time that thinks, ‘Well, you know, fair enough, let other people do it’. (F, 72) What I need to try and do more is where I actually can’t do activity for reason of injury or something like that, I need to just go and have a walk or something. I’m not very good at gentle exercise, put it that way. (M, 55) Planning and helping me gain some sort of control over my life, now that I don’t have a lot of control over my life [with depression]. (F, 78)
Individual attitudes can support urgency for change	I think I’d be more concerned about dementia and my memory  . . .  if I wasn’t able to compare notes with other people, and virtually everyone I know has different levels of memory problems. (F, 80) I’d say nine and a half, nine and three-quarters, ten out of ten. Yes, pretty important [to prevent dementia]. (F, 60) Enjoyment, if I enjoy something, there’s no question, I seek enjoyment. And there are things I do in my life that I really enjoy, and there’s no trouble motivating me at all if I really enjoy it. (M, 62) Short-term would be like that quick fix, quick hit, of endorphins if you go and do some exercise, and then longer-term, your physical and mental health. (F, 53) I was just so unbalanced on the bike that I was too scared of falling over and, you know, smashing my knee on a concrete kerb or something and ending up more disabled than I already was. (F, 60)
Access to reliable, flexible resources can help overcome barriers	I’m very keen, I’m happy to read stuff, I’m happy to look things up on the internet, I’m happy to watch stuff if it was available, all of the above  . . .  If I was thinking that I wanted to particularly save something which may be a set of instructions, “Do this to improve your mental health,” I would just save it and go print it. (F, 71) A program where I can, that you check in and go righto. You could do this last week, can you do two more this week?  . . .  You know if you’ve got guidelines to set that pushes you, yeah. Okay I’ll do it. And if someone’s going to check on you, oh. (M, 55) I guess, finding the right place to do it as well. Somewhere comfortable with the right program. So, having to do a bit of footwork or research to find what’s right for me. (F, 62) I think another barrier is getting ready in the cold for half an hour and then coming home, that’s a barrier (F, 51)
Access to social opportunities for accountability and support	Yeah that’s it, that’s that commitment to others. Someone else is relying on you to come yeah. (F, 62) I do prefer to walk by myself to be honest. I mean, one, when my husband comes, he walks slower than I do and I just find it irritating having someone walking behind me, but I always feel like I’ve got to ask, do you want to come. Maybe I just shouldn’t ask, but then if he’s around, I don’t tend to go. (F, 60) I would be encouraged by family for sure. If I said I was hoping to make these changes, I’d have a lot of support with family. (F, 62) I do a lot of walking with friends at lunch time, so that sort of thing would make it easier, the support of others. (F, 53)