The present project is innovative, and it is presented as a non-oriented research project that aims to advance the current knowledge of promoting public health research for a better quality of life and functional independence of the older adult population, including community-dwelling older adults. The current proposal brings together knowledge in public health, education, pedagogy, psychology, and technology with a novel approach.
The EngAGE project approaches to co-create an intergenerational intervention aimed at improving PA and reducing SB in community-dwelling older adults, followed by an evaluation of its effects on PA and SB, with a special focus on whether these effects are maintained in the mid and long term.
The project is divided in two phases:
Phase 1:
Co-create an intergenerational intervention based on technology solutions to improve movement patterns [reduce sedentary behaviour (SB) and increase physical activity (PA) levels] of community-dwelling older adults (recruited from day care and community centres) (65 years and older). Tailored to each setting, interventions will be designed together with end-users, family members (including children and grandchildren), primary and secondary school students, health professionals, health management professionals (e.g., hospital directors), technology experts, primary and secondary education professionals (teachers), researchers, and sport sciences specialists to reduce SB and increase PA levels of older adults through participatory action research methodology, specifically co-creation. The investigators also aim to explore the added value of immersive technology to increase and enhance uptake, adherence, and sustainability of an intervention to improve movement patterns in the older adult population.
Phase 2:
To evaluate the effects of the intervention programs, tailored to each setting, co-created in Phase 1 on the movement patterns (time in SB, time in mentally active and passive SB, standing time, walking time, number of steps, number and time of transitions) of older adults (65 years and older) in the short (end of intervention), medium and long term (with 6 and 12 months post-intervention follow-up, respectively), by means of a randomised controlled clinical trial. As secondary objectives, the investigators intend to evaluate the effects of the intervention programs on functionality/dependence, loneliness and social isolation, physical function, body composition, health-related quality of life, depression, and anxiety, as well as their cost-utility.
