Subject
The project “Let’s go outside!“ pursues to combine in terms of action research forms of intervention related to practise with accompanying evaluation of occurring changes. The focus of research is on finding ways to get elderly people into independently using public space for physical activity.
Different forms of activation such as easily accessible information, low-threshold activities and networking of already established groups are used to collect data how elderly people can be animated to use outdoor-activity-parks and which barriers exist.
At the same time shall round table discussions enable elderly people living in the regarding district to have their opinions, needs and desires concerning the design of outdoor gyms heard. In order to gain meaningful information for the designing and planning of outdoor-activity-parks that are also effectively used, a participatory inclusion of the target group seems to be essential.
An accompanying evaluation will assess the ways elderly people could be reached and were animated to take up physical activity, as well as rate which forms of interventions lacked acceptance or effectiveness.
Aim
A main focus lies on the mobilization of elderly people to independently use outdoor-activity-parks that are already built. The pursued approach is setting-oriented and participatory. Potentially existing individual and infrastructural barriers are to be searched and as much as possible reduced.
The scientific objective is to evaluate the intervention measures applied in terms of their effectiveness. A package of measures and a set of guidelines are to be developed.
Results
In order to validate the knowledge, the results obtained in the first phases of the projects are to be discussed by panels of experts.
Based on the so obtained results a package of measures and a set of guidelines for the planning of outdoor-activity-parks for elderly people are to be developed.
Project Partners
Department of Sport Pedagogy
Centre of Sport Science and University Sports
University of Vienna
Head: o. Univ. Prof. Dr. Michael Kolb
Scientific staff: Mag. Barbara Kolb
Contact: barbara.kolb@univie.ac.at
tilia mayrhofer.staller.studer.og
DI Rita Mayrhofer
Otto Bauer Gasse 14/4
1060 Wien
Contact: tilia@tilia.at
www.tilia.at
Project management
Ass. Prof. Dr. Rosa Diektmüller
Department of Sport Pedagogy
Centre of Sport Science and University Sports
University of Vienna
Duration of the project
March 2010 – October 2011
Funding
The project “Let’s go outside” is funded by the “Fonds Gesundes Österreich”, the ministry of sport and the MA 18.
