Study on the relationship between active ageing activities and the degree of satisfaction in older adults during Covid-19

Abstract

This research aimed to study the relationship between the frequency of participation of older adults in active ageing programs and the satisfaction they obtain from this experience.The research was quantitative, cross-sectional, and relational; and an intentional non-probability sampling was applied to select 800 persons over 65, corresponding to users of various senior centres located in four districts of Madrid, Spain. The data collection instrument consisted of 29 easy-to-understand questions grouped into six dimensions. Results of the questionnaire indicate that users are satisfied with the activities and services offered by the centres since they manage to establish new relationships and learn new skills through group workshops that contribute to their personal enrichment. According to 78% of the respondents, participation in workshops and other group activities contribute to a better quality of life in the elderly, and no statistically significant differences were found between the users’ degree of satisfaction and gender. This research provides possible improvements in areas that will contribute to preventing dependence; for example, those in which there is a greater demand from users.As proposals for improvement, we suggest designing specific strategies to obtain more male participation in senior centre workshops.