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Retention in intergenerational exercise classes for older adults: a mixed-method research study

ABSTRACT Community-based exercise classes may enhance health outcomes for older adults, but they tend to have high drop-out rates. Given age integration theory, structuring social support opportunities may be one effective solution for this problem. The objectives of this study are to determine 1) if the proposed ‘Intergenerational Exercise Buddy Program’ increases the level of social support for older participants, and 2) if an intervention group has a higher retention rate compared to a control group. Of the 51 participants recruited, 34 were older adults (aged 65+; mean age = 74.6 years). Randomly selected 18 older adults were paired with 17 younger adults (aged 18–25; mean age = 23.2 years) constituting an intervention group; 16 remaining older adults comprised a control group. The study participants attended 8 weekly classes of their choice between Chair Yoga and Easy Tai Chi. Using mixed methods with a pre-post, quasi-experimental design, this study found that participant sense of social support did not change significantly. Nevertheless, no older adult participant dropped out. The older adult intervention group had a greater level of class participation than the control group (attending 7.3 vs. 6.2 out of 8 classes). Analysis of focus group interview data revealed multiple themes including the perceived value of social connections and interactions in classes (e.g., enjoyment) and the crucial role of exercise buddies in discouraging absence (e.g., accountability). Practical implications include the potential benefits of designing community-based exercise programs with structured opportunities for cross-generationalinteractions to help motivate participants to sustain their participation.