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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Despite the importance of meaningful activity in mild dementia, only limited data are available on the development of interventions supporting people with mild dementia to engage in meaningful activity. In this paper we describe the development of an intervention that responds to this need. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Intervention Mapping (IM), an evidence-based approach, was used to develop STAYING ACTIVE (STAYing well and active - schedulINg meaninGful and enjoyAble aCTIvities to promote Vitality and wEll-being in mild dementia). The first step, a needs assessment, comprised a literature review, focus groups and individual interviews with service-users. Performance objectives of the intervention were formulated in step two, followed by development of theory-based methods in step three. In step four the new intervention was developed based on data collected in previous steps, existing interventions, and pilot testing. Qualitative data were analyzed using framework analysis. RESULTS The needs assessment indicated that people with dementia and their carers view "staying active" as an important part of 'enjoying life'. Adapting to loss through compensation and receiving support were key facilitators of engaging in meaningful activity. Ecological, psycho-social, and activity-oriented theories guided the development of theory-based intervention strategies, which were based on awareness, skills and addressing barriers of meaningful activity. IMPLICATIONS STAYING ACTIVE is grounded on theory, and service-user experiences and aims at promoting meaningful activity in mild dementia. The IM framework may be useful in the development of future psychosocial interventions for people with dementia, facilitating transparency when efficacy is evaluated.