Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB,Canada.
Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB,Canada.
J Aging Phys Act. 2023 Mar 22;31(5):765-775. doi: 10.1123/japa.2022-0140. Print 2023 Oct 1.
Instructors in organized physical activity classes can be a source of social support through their relationships with participants, influence on participants' interactions with each other, and design of activities. Grounded in interpretive description, the objective of this study was to examine older adults' experiences of and their perspectives on group physical activity instructors' supportive behaviors. Observations of 16 group physical activity classes (N = 295) and focus groups or interviews with N = 38 class participants aged ≥ 55 (n = 29 women) were conducted at four municipal recreation facilities in a Canadian city. Five themes shed light on how instructors provided social support: (a) supporting autonomous engagement, (b) developing caring connections, (c) fostering trust through expert instruction, (d) managing conflict directly and effectively, and (e) creating a climate where people want to go. Instructor training should consider older adults' social support needs and help instructors embody behaviors that support continued physical activity participation, thereby contributing to healthy aging.
在有组织的体育活动课中，指导员可以通过与参与者的关系、对参与者之间相互作用的影响以及活动的设计，成为社会支持的来源。本研究基于解释性描述，旨在探讨老年人对群体体育活动指导员支持性行为的体验和看法。在加拿大一个城市的四个市立娱乐设施中，对 16 个群体体育活动课（N=295）进行了观察，并对 N=38 名年龄≥55 岁的（n=29 名女性）的班参与者进行了焦点小组或访谈。五个主题阐明了指导员如何提供社会支持：（a）支持自主参与，（b）建立关怀联系，（c）通过专业指导建立信任，（d）直接有效地处理冲突，以及（e）营造人们愿意参与的氛围。指导员培训应考虑老年人的社会支持需求，并帮助指导员体现支持持续体育活动参与的行为，从而促进健康老龄化。
