The Impact of Intergenerational Learning on Quality of Life in Older Populations Residing in A Public Sector Old Age Home: A Quasi-experimental Study

ABSTRACT

There has been no research in Pakistan about how to improve quality of life (QOL) of aging populations through intergenerational learning. In this study we aimed to deliver an intervention for intergenerational learning to assess the impact on QOL through a quasi-experiment research design. We also aimed to identify which types of intergenerational learning activities improve QOL and how the activities may be improved. We gained permission to deliver the intervention from a state-run old age center in Punjab. Though the intervention started with 42 participants, we were left with 18 participants at the end of the three-month intervention. The results show posttest improvement in: (i) sleep (t = 3.01, p < .05), (ii) life enjoyment (t = 2.26, p < .05), and (iii) psychological health (t = 2.04, p = .05). In addition, participants with more education exhibited significant improvement in QOL after the intervention. We were also able to compile a list of 19 suggestions by participants for overall changes in learning activities, changes in specific interventions delivered, and suggestions for more types of interventions. We conclude that intergenerational learning improves QOL, and recommend suggestions for life satisfaction, and the planning of old age home centers. This study has implications for aging policy across developing and South Asian populations.

KEYWORDS:

• Aging population
• intergenerational learning
• aging policy
• quality of life
• quasi-experiment

Acknowledgments

We thank all the elderly for participating in this study. We must also thank the survey data collection team which includes: Ishtiaq Ahmed, Ahtasham ul Haq, Nayab Khalil, Syeda Airas, and Sidra Noor. We are also indebted to Syed Assad ul Azeem Bukhari and Maheen Abid, our hard work students who assisted in coordinating data collection planning, transcribing of data, and transfer to SPSS. Finally, we would like to thank the amazing and self-less student facilitators and research assistants for the intervention, who gave so much, time, energy and emotions to this project: Maham Salah ud Din, Javaria Naeem, Hamna Aftab, Ayesha Khalid, Amina Ramzan, Ansah Ramzan, Iffa Khan, Syeda Gul-e-Zahra, Maha Bilal, Fatima Syed, Bushra Zafar, Faroza Islam, Fatima Zeeshan, Uzma Parveen, Alia Ramzan, Ayesha Afzal, Airas Burhan, and Soha Zubair. Finally we would like to thank Mrs. Alvina Wasim, Mrs. Aisha Amir Ahmed, Mrs. Hafsa Tariq, Mrs. Armeen Asraf, and Mrs. Aaleen Zaryab for reviewing our learning material for the intervention.

Compliance with ethical standards

There is no conflict of interest to declare. Ethics approval for this study has been taken from the Institutional Review Board, Forman Christian College University. Permission to collect data and deliver an intervention at public sector old age homes was also taken from the Punjab Social Welfare Department. No names of respondents were taken and confidentiality of the elderly has been preserved by not reporting old age home names or city belonging. Informed consent was taken from all elderly respondents for the survey and for the intervention from elderly participants. The consent forms are available at request. All elders were assured that they could leave the assisted interview for survey completion or the intervention at any time.

Author contributions

SRJ designed the study and was responsible for the data collection, data analysis and drafting of the manuscript. SKB, AK, and QK assisted in supervision and coordination for data collection. SS provided senior consultancy through the research project and approved the final submission.

Additional information

Funding

Offices of Research, Innovation and Commercialization, Forman Christian College University Project grant number is 8664.