Background: There is accumulating evidence that addressing modifiable risk and protective factors has an impact on dementiarates. Insight into the public’s perspectives on dementia risk reduction is needed to inform future individual-level interventionsand public health approaches.Objective: This study explores the publics’ openness towards dementia risk reduction and willingness towards changinglifestyle behavior to reduce the future risk for dementia.Methods: Using a screening questionnaire, participants were purposively selected based on lifestyle behaviors that areassociated with dementia risk. One-on-one interviews were used to explore their openness towards dementia risk reductionand willingness towards behavior change. Independently, two researchers performed an inductive content analysis.Results: Interviews were conducted with 23 participants aged from 40 to 79 years. Main themes that were identified fromthe data were: 1) abstractness of dementia risk reduction, 2) ambivalence towards changing behavior, 3) negative self-imageand low behavioral control, and 4) all-or-nothing thinking about lifestyle change.Conclusions: The concept of dementia risk reduction seems difficult to translate to the personal context, particularly ifindividuals perceive that dementia would occur decades in the future. This is problematic because a large proportion of thepublic needs a healthier lifestyle to reduce the incidence of dementia. Translating healthy intentions into behavior is complexand involves overcoming a variety of barriers that complicate dementia risk reduction initiatives. Support is needed forindividuals who experience additional obstacles that obstruct commencing to a healthier lifestyle (e.g., negative self-image,engaging in multiple unhealthy behaviors, unrealistic perceptions about lifestyle change). ; Jeroen Bruinsmaa, Irene Hegerb, Vasileios S. Loukasc, Thomas Kassiotise, Georgia Karanasiouc, Dimitrios I. Fotiadisc, Sten Hankef and Rik Crutzen ; Version of record