Maintaining brain health is an advanced goal of healthy ageing. As an important intervention to promote brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive impairment, physical activity is highly recommended in the WHO Guidelines on Risk Reduction of Cognitive Decline and Dementia. However, due to the lack of specific guidance on the types of exercise, amount of exercise and intervention methods, it is difficult to carry out physical activity in the community.

To construct a community-based physical activity intervention program to promote brain health in community-dwelling Chinese residents.

A draft of Community-based Physical Activity Intervention Program Promoting Brain Health (CPAIPPBH) was developed in December 2021 based on the evidence extracted from studies searched systematically after being screened and assessed in terms of quality by two researchers independently, and review results of our research group. Then from February to March 2022, the draft was revised in accordance with the results of a two-round email-based Delphi survey with 13 experts, and response rate, authority coefficient, Kendall's W, weight of each indicator, and the logical consistency of indicators at all levels were calculated, and finally the formal version was developed.

Altogether, 26 out of the 8 943 searched studies were enrolled, from which 27 pieces of evidence were summarized, involving target group and principles of physical activity, type of physical activity, intensity and time of physical activity, effect and relevant evaluation of physical activity, and considerations for physical activity. The draft CPAIPPBH consisted of 6 primary indicators and 32 secondary indicators. The response rate, authority coefficient, and Kendall's W were 100.0%, 0.940, and 0.257 (χ²=123.386, P<0.001), respectively, for the first round of survey, and were 100.0%, 0.925, and 0.275 (χ²=139.548, P<0.001), respectively, for the second round of survey. The final program includes 7 primary indicators (including target group and principles of physical activity, pre-intervention assessment, form of intervention, type of physical activity, intensity and time of physical activity, effect and relevant evaluation of physical activity, and considerations for physical activity, with corresponding weights of 0.213, 0.213, 0.213, 0.066, 0.116, 0.116, 0.066, respectively) and 33 secondary indicators. The consistency ratios of primary and secondary indicators were all <0.100 0.

The CPAIPPBH developed by us has proven to be scientific and practical, which could be used to guide the management of community-based physical activity interventions for brain health by community medical workers.