AARP Brain Health Surveys for the Global Council of Brain Health (GCBH)

Since 2015, AARP Research has been fielding surveys in support of AARP’s Policy and Brain Health team and the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH). AARP Research produces a final report for each brain health topic (employment, hearing, dementia stigma, etc.). This collection represents these final reports on brain health topics to date. 

When the survey series kicked off in 2015, a general survey exploring awareness and interest in brain health was launched to get a general read of the views and concerns about brain health among adults age 40 and older. An update to several of these key questions was in included in a January 2024 report.

Following the initial 2015 survey, subsequent reports were also based on nationally representative samples and their topics related to the six pillar brain health behaviors: exercise, sleep, social engagement, mentally stimulating activity, nutrition, and mental well-being (stress).

Reports were produced for additional topics including employment, hearing, music, dietary supplements, delirium, and the perceptions related to a dementia diagnosis. Some surveys have included adults ages 18 and older, others have included adults ages 40 and older. Most final reports include highlights and differences in Hispanic/Latino, African American/Black, and Asian American communities.

Several common threads have emerged over the years of fielding these surveys:

• Adults who regularly engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors are willing to engage in even more healthy behaviors when they find out that doing so is good for their brain health. 
• A relationship exists between engagement in healthy behaviors and self-reported brain health and mental well-being. 
• Adults who engage in healthy behaviors more often tend to self-report better brain health and higher mental well-being scores.
• Adults tend to put trust in their healthcare providers when it comes to advice about healthy behaviors, dietary supplements, and a cognitive evaluation. 

For more information, please contact Laura Mehegan at lmehegan@aarp.org. For media inquiries, please contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.

For more information on brain health, please visit the Global Council of Brain Health.

Brain Health Surveys (2015–Present)

• Original brain health survey (2015) – 2015 Survey on Brain Health
• Awareness (2025) - Views About Brain Health and Dementia
• Brain health resources survey (2024) - Where Do Adults Age 40-Plus Get Information on Health Topics?
• Cognitively stimulating activities (2017) – 2017 AARP Cognitive Activity and Brain Health Survey
• Delirium  (Gen Pop, HCPs, 2020) – 2020 AARP Brain Health and Delirium Survey
• Dementia stigma  (Gen pop, HCPs, 2021) – 2021 AARP Survey on Perceptions Related to Dementia Diagnosis
• Employment, including relationship to mental health and sleep (2024) - Brain Health and Employment: Adults Ages 18-Plus
• Hearing poll (2024) and Brain health and hearing survey (2023) - The Intersection Between Hearing and Brain Health; Attitudes and Behaviors Related to Hearing
• Mental well-being (2016) – 2016 Survey on Healthy Behaviors and Mental Well-Being
• Mental well-being (2018) – 2018 Brain Healh and Mental Well-Being Survey
• Music (2020) – 2020 Music and Brain Health Survey
• Nutrition (2017) – 2017 Brain Health and Nutrition Survey
• Supplements (2019) – 2019 AARP Dietary Supplements and Brain Health Survey
• Physical activity (2016) – 2016 Survey on Physical Activity
• Sleep (2016) – 2016 AARP Sleep and Brain Health Survey
• Social engagement (2016) – 2016 AARP Social Engagement and Brain Health Survey
• Stigma associated with aging and cognition (2024) - Social Stigma and Health-Related Conditions
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) (2025) - The Prevalance and Impact of Traumatic Brain Injury