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Intergenerational activities – how older people and their grandchildren use local parks in Victoria

Tracks
Federation Ballroom
Community
Exercise
Physical Space
Urban Planning
Wellness / Well Being
Thursday, November 14, 2024
2:00 PM - 2:15 PM

Speaker

Mrs Marcia Fearn
Research Policy And Practice Fellow
National Ageing Research Institute

Intergenerational activities – how older people and their grandchildren use local parks in Victoria

Abstract

Local parks offer outdoor spaces for active play; they provide a common attractive space in which grandparents and grandchildren can interact and engage in physical activity. We investigated how multigenerational active spaces, which includes age-friendly outdoor exercise equipment (the Seniors Exercise Park) within six local parks in Victoria were being used by older people, their grandchildren and other age groups. Using direct observations of park visitors over three consecutive months, the number of visitors, activity interaction, type of accompaniment (e.g., intergenerational, family, group), and physical activity level were recorded and reported descriptively. An intercept survey of a sub sample of older visitors was also conducted. A total of 5,373 visitors were observed with 43.3% (n=2,327) children and 10% (n=537) older people. Older people’s most common accompaniments were within intergenerational groups (n=164, 30.5%). Within the observed intergenerational activities, 35% were older people and 45.1% children. Most people from all age groups were observed to be physically active (≥78%). Survey respondents (n=48) reported attending the park alone (47.9%) or with company (e.g., 22.9% grandchildren, 12.5% partner/friend). Approximately a third of respondents reported exercising with their grandchildren in the designated space. A large proportion of older visitors were observed with intergenerational accompaniment in local parks, with most grandparents and their grandchildren observed to be physically active. The availability of active spaces that can be used by multiple generations for incidental movements or play activities may be an attractive setting for both children and older adults to foster intergenerational interaction and physical activity engagement.

Biography

Marcia Fearn is a research policy and practice fellow at the National Ageing Research Institute. She was the project manager for the BEFRIENDAS randomised controlled trial, exploring the impact of befriending provided by trained volunteers on depression, anxiety and loneliness in older people living in residential aged care. She is currently managing an implementation project that is designed to increase older people's participation in physical activity and use of Seniors Exercise Parks.
Dr Bronwyn Dreher
Research Assistant
National Ageing Research Institute

Intergenerational activities – how older people and their grandchildren use local parks in Victoria

Biography

Dr Bronwyn Dreher (physiotherapist) is a research clinician, combining part time research and clinical roles. Dr Dreher completed her PhD at Monash University in 2017. She has a particular interest in the translation of research into practice to improve health outcomes for older people. Dr Dreher is a part time Research Assistant for the ENJOY projects at the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI). Her work at NARI is focussed on facilitating the effective and sustainable development and use of age-friendly outdoor exercise equipment (Seniors Exercise Parks), to improve physical activity and health and well-being outcomes for older adults in the community. Dr Dreher has over 20 years of relevant clinical experience as a physiotherapist; she has worked in a variety of health service settings, including in private practice, hospital care, and rehabilitation. In her current role as a clinician in the aged care sector, she supports older people – living in residential care and at home – to achieve their goals for health and level of function, with a focus on exercise and physical activity programs.

Session Chair

Lui Di Venuto
Team Leader
City Of Onkaparinga

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