McMasterLogo_New-2017-300x165
Back
Evidence Summary

What is an Evidence Summary?

Key messages from scientific research that's ready to be acted on

Got It, Hide this
  • Rating:

Participants’ disabilities, their literacy levels, and the membership of participating organizations can influence the effectiveness of intergenerational programs

Canedo-Garcia A, Garcia-Sanchez J & Pacheco-Sanz D.  A systematic review of the effectiveness of intergenerational programs  Frontiers in Psychology. 2017;8(1882).

Review question

      What factors influence the effectiveness of empirically-based interventions within intergenerational programs?

Background

      Intergenerational programs are interventions implemented to encourage cooperation, interaction and exchange between two or more generations. Such programs can be used to improve life satisfaction and quality of life for all individuals.

      Intergenerational programs related to education, aging and mental health exist.

      Current intergenerational programs appear to neglect the potential of recent technological advances.

      This systematic review aims to summarize the evidence related to factors influencing the effectiveness of intergenerational programs.

How the review was done

      A detailed search of a number of electronic databases was conducted to identify studies published between 2004 and 2015. Studies that focused on intergenerational programs, their effectiveness, and their evaluation were included in the review.

      A total of 553 studies were identified in searches, and 50 were included in the systematic review after assessments for eligibility.

      This review was funded by the European Social Fund, within the Operational Program of the European Regional Development Fund and BIOGES Starters.

What the researchers found

      Intergenerational programs with a greater number of empirically-based interventions have the greatest level of effectiveness regardless of the types of interventions being used.

      Other factors influencing the effectiveness of intergenerational programs include the participants’ disabilities, the literacy levels of participants (in other words, their ability to read and write), and the membership of an organization taking part in intergenerational programs.

Conclusion

      In summary upon review and comparison of various determinants of intergenerational programs, the incorporation of evidence-based, efficient programs, both virtually and face-to-face, to meet the needs of the user to eliminate differences between generations and prevent barriers to communication is recommended. The attainable goal of such interventions is to reduce stereotypes associated with generations, prevent social isolation of the elderly, improve the empathy of youth towards the elderly and foster further relationships between age groups. Benefits of intergenerational programs were found to be particularly relevant to older adults with dementia.

      Limitations to the studied included in the review are a lack of follow-up, small sample sizes and limited inclusion of applied theoretical perspective.




Glossary

Systematic review
A comprehensive evaluation of the available research evidence on a particular topic.

Related Web Resources

  • Sorry, what did you say? Living with dysarthria (unclear speech) after stroke

    Evidently Cochrane
    After suffering a stroke, your speech may be unclear depending on which part of your brain was damaged. Better quality research is needed to learn more about how this condition affects people who are recovering from a stroke. This resource includes a personal story from Annette.
  • Social isolation: How to help patients be less lonely

    Patient.co.uk
    Reach out to others if you feel lonely or socially isolated. Become more active in your community. If you are a general practitioner or a community nurse, look for key signs of loneliness and help your patients find appropriate help.
  • Preventing elder abuse

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
    There are many types of elder abuse. Elder abuse is a serious problem in the USA and can lead to physical injuries, emotional effects, premature death and worsened health problems. Read this resource to learn more about elder abuse and tips to prevent it.
DISCLAIMER These summaries are provided for informational purposes only. They are not a substitute for advice from your own health care professional. The summaries may be reproduced for not-for-profit educational purposes only. Any other uses must be approved by the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (info@mcmasteroptimalaging.org).

Register for free access to all Professional content

Register