Department of Global Health, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA.
Western Australian Centre for Rural Health, University of Western Australia, Geraldton, WA 6009, Australia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Jul 8;21(7):886. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21070886.
A rise in aging populations globally calls attention to factors that influence the well-being and health of older adults, including social participation. In Australia, rural older adults face cultural, social, and physical challenges that place them at risk for isolation. Thus, research surrounding social participation and healthy aging is increasingly relevant, especially in rural areas. This qualitative study in a remote town in Western Australia explores barriers and facilitators to older adults' social participation. To investigate multiple perspectives, 23 adults aged 50+ and 19 organizations from a rural town were interviewed. A stakeholder reference group was engaged to refine the research design and validate the findings. Feedback from early interviews was used to refine the data collection process, thus enhancing the validity of the findings. Thematic analysis showed that health and mobility issues, inadequate infrastructure, poor sustainability, and cultural tensions commonly impacted social participation. Themes of rural town culture, cultural power dynamics, and rural stoicism were identified as cultural aspects that inhibited participation. Based on results of this study and the supporting literature, recommendations for inclusive activities include supporting community-designed programs, utilizing culturally sensitive language and personnel, expanding services using existing community resources, and diversifying older adults' roles in existing groups.
全球人口老龄化的增加引起了人们对影响老年人福祉和健康的因素的关注，包括社会参与。在澳大利亚，农村老年人面临着文化、社会和身体方面的挑战，使他们面临孤立的风险。因此，围绕社会参与和健康老龄化的研究越来越受到关注，特别是在农村地区。这项在澳大利亚西部偏远城镇进行的定性研究探讨了老年人社会参与的障碍和促进因素。为了调查多个视角，对 23 名 50 岁以上的成年人和来自农村城镇的 19 个组织进行了采访。一个利益相关者参考小组参与了研究设计的完善和研究结果的验证。从早期访谈中获得的反馈用于完善数据收集过程，从而提高了研究结果的有效性。主题分析表明，健康和流动性问题、基础设施不足、可持续性差以及文化紧张通常会影响社会参与。农村城镇文化、文化权力动态和农村坚韧不拔的主题被确定为抑制参与的文化方面。基于这项研究的结果和相关文献，包容性活动的建议包括支持社区设计的项目、使用文化敏感的语言和人员、利用现有社区资源扩展服务以及使老年人在现有团体中的角色多样化。
