Development and evaluation of an infusion active aging education (IAAE) model for university students

This study proposed and evaluated an infusion active aging education (IAAE) model to help university students develop an age-friendly mind-set and the ability to empower older individuals through intergenerational learning. The IAAE model encompasses the (1) Identification of academic champions from various faculties, (2) Active infusion of cocreated intergenerational activities into discipline-specific curricula; (3) Activity implementation, and (4) Evaluation. In total, 511 students and 129 older adults participated in this study between 2018 and 2020. A mixed-method evaluation was conducted to compare the pretests and posttests results of the students in the intervention (n = 287) and comparison (n = 63) groups and to thematically analyze the data of qualitative in-depth interviews with 29 older adult participants. The results revealed that the intervention group students achieved significant improvements in aging-related knowledge, attitudes, skills, and professional interests, whereas the comparison group students achieved significant improvement only in aging-related knowledge. The older adult participants reported improvements in their understanding of young people, sense of self-worth, and generativity. The IAAE model can contribute to the growth of age-friendly practices by enriching university curricula with intergenerational interactions through a participatory and nonprescriptive approach.