Initiating Participatory Action Research with Older Adults: Lessons Learned through Reflexivity

Personal benefits of older adults engaging in a participatory action research (PAR) project

Participatory action research (PAR) is the process of conducting research with people rather than for them and is perceived as an empowering activity for older adults who participate in it. However, there is little evidence that outlines and explains the reasons why older adults engage in PAR. Thus, the aim of this study was to better understand the personal benefits for older adults participating in PAR. We based our study on the experiences of four older adults who volunteered for CareComLabs, a Swiss-based PAR project, for more than two years. A constructivist grounded theory design was used to explore the benefits of participating in CareComLabs by conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The analysis yielded four categories of personal benefits of participating in CareComLabs: (a) enriching relationships; (b) broadening horizons for older age; (c) keeping in touch with one's profession; and (d) interacting in a nurturing community. Our findings may have implications for policies and frameworks focused on the identification of the potential of participatory action research as a community resource.

Intersectional epistemic tensions associated with building knowledge with LGBTQ+ older adults of color

In gerontological research, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) older adults of color are a hard-to-reach and underrepresented population. In this paper, we reflected upon the process of designing and implementing a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study by and for LGBTQ+ older adults of color committed to intersectionality. Data generted from fieldnotes and focus groups with five older Black lesbians were analyzed to uncover epistemic tensions associated with building intersectional knowledge for social justice. Study findings addressed the fraught nature of scientific knowledge production influenced by inequitable power structures and historically extractive research practices. Specifically, how cultural, political, and intergenerational tensions as well as the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the research process and were instrumental in learning about culturally responsive research. Putting PAR in dialogue with intersectionality opened an expansive paradigm that addressed the limitations of gerontological research. We end with implications for culturally responsive research with marginalized populations in aging studies, such as older LGBTQ+ adults of color.

[La mise en abyme d'un projet intergénérationnel de recherche: Un comité intergénérationnel comme processus et sujet de recherche]

Les projets de nature intergénérationnelle sont aujourd'hui hautement valorisés par les décideurs publics et les responsables académiques. La pandémie de COVID-19 a fait ressurgir l'importance des relations entre les générations et des projets intergénérationnels ancrés dans la communauté. Cet article présente les résultats d'une étude visant à faire travailler ensemble des personnes aînées et des jeunes adultes au sein d'un projet intergénérationnel ancré dans la communauté. La particularité dans cette étude c'est qu'elle utilise une démarche méthodologique co-constructive, c'est-à-dire qu'elle jumelle des chercheurs et des chercheures académiques de différents horizons et des personnes aînées citoyennes tout au long du processus de recherche. Les résultats portent particulièrement sur les attentes des personnes participantes au projet intergénérationnel, la description du déroulement du projet (sur une période de dix mois) et les perceptions des relations intergénérationnelles au cours du projet. Nous terminons l'article par une discussion autour des constats centraux de notre étude et de notre expérience dans le cadre d'une recherche co-constructive.

The Co-Design/Co-Development and Evaluation of an Online Frailty Check Application for Older Adults: Participatory Action Research with Older Adults

Frailty is an age-related condition characterized by a decline in physical capacity with an increased vulnerability to stressors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was considerable progression in frailty in older adults. Therefore, an online frailty check (FC) is required for continuous screening, especially acceptable to older adults. We aimed to co-design/co-develop an online FC application with FC supporters who were facilitators in a pre-existing onsite FC program in the community. It consisted of a self-assessment of sarcopenia and an 11-item questionnaire assessing dietary, physical, and social behaviors. Opinions obtained from FC supporters (median 74.0 years) were categorized and implemented. The usability was assessed using the system usability scale (SUS). For both FC supporters and participants (n = 43), the mean score was 70.2 ± 10.3 points, which implied a "marginally high" acceptability and a "good" adjective range. Multiple regression analysis showed that the SUS score was significantly correlated with onsite-online reliability, even after adjusting for age, sex, education level, and ICT proficiency (b = 0.400, 95% CI: 0.243-1.951, p = 0.013). We also validated the online FC score, which showed a significant association between onsite and online FC scores (R = 0.670, p = 0.001). In conclusion, the online FC application is an acceptable and reliable tool to check frailty for community-dwelling older adults.

Optimizing older adult co-researchers’ involvement in PAR: proposed evaluation tool

Purpose

This paper aims to share a practical evaluation tool intended to guide and support the participation of older people in PAR projects. Participatory action research (PAR) studies with older adults have been increasing over the past ten years. Scientific evidence provides key principles for PAR projects to achieve meaningful participation by older people; however, respecting the ideals of PAR is not always straightforward.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a case study that evaluated the involvement of nonacademic researchers in a PAR project using an evaluation tool derived from a literature review of PAR undertaken with this population (Corrado et al., 2020). The study goals were first to assess the assets and limits of the older co-researchers’ participation within the PAR project, and second to provide a revised version of the evaluation tool to support future PAR with older people. First, the authors designed an evaluation tool for nonacademic participation in PAR studies by older people that covers three main themes: older people positioned as prominent research partners; symmetrical power relations between academic and nonacademic researchers; and commitment regarding inclusiveness and long-term collaboration. Second, the authors performed an evaluation using this tool within the Active Aging with Dignity PAR Project.

Findings

Third, the authors used the results of this experiment to suggest improvements for an enhanced version of the evaluation tool aiming at supporting fuller involvement of older nonacademic researchers in PAR studies.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this evaluative tool is a methodological innovation in gerontology.

Co-research with older people: a systematic literature review

Interest in co-research with older adults has grown in the past 20 years, yet few published studies have addressed why and how older people have been involved as partners in research. This article presents a systematic review of the literature, examining the aims and challenges of co-research and the ways in which older adults can be involved in research. Systematic searches covering several databases were conducted, yielding a total of 3,293 articles, with 27 papers reviewed which involved older people as co-researchers across more than one stage of the research cycle. We find that co-research with older people offers improved understandings of the issues facing older people; more inclusive and responsive policy, practice and service design; and opportunities for co-researchers to develop new skills whilst giving voice to marginalised groups of older people. The analysis highlights the different ways in which older adults can be involved across phases of research, and identifies ethical, methodological and practical challenges encountered in the process. Involving older adults as co-researchers, while labour intensive and practically challenging, holds promise as an underdeveloped resource for social gerontology, as well as older people themselves. The paper identifies four pathways for improving and extending co-research: developing diversified structures of involvement, supporting co-researchers, embedding research rigour and ensuring co-ownership of change.