Improving Sports and Recreation Services in Mashhad for Elderly and Intergenerational Interaction (ESPIRE-M)

This interventional study aims to design strategies to improve service quality and productivity in recreational sports facilities in Mashhad Municipality, focusing on creating an age-friendly city. The research consists of two parts: fieldwork and an experimental section. Field Section: 1. Assess seniors\' perceptions of services using the SERVQUAL questionnaire and other tools. 2. Conduct a SWOT analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to elderly sports participation. Experimental Section: Evaluate the impact of intergenerational sports activities on elderly participants (aged 60+). Participants were paired with younger individuals and randomly allocated to five groups, including a control group. Group Tasks: * Control Group: 78 seniors continued daily routines without structured activities. * Experimental Groups: 1. Non-sport intergenerational interaction sessions (90 minutes, 3x/week). 2. Intergenerational yoga sessions (90 minutes, 3x/week). 3. Light aerobic exercises + group discussions (90 minutes, 3x/week). 4. Non-exercise intergenerational sessions in a park (90 minutes, 3x/week). 5. Non-exercise intergenerational sessions in a nursing home (90 minutes, 3x/week). Field Study Sample: * 384 customers of Mashhad Municipality sports facilities (192 women, 192 men). Key Notes: * Elderly participants were selected through cluster sampling; younger participants were purposively sampled from Mashhad\'s Islamic Azad University. * Gender balance (50% women, 50% men) was maintained in all groups. Main Questions: 1. How do service quality factors influence customers of Mashhad Municipality sports facilities? 2. Do intergenerational programs improve quality of life, health, and well-being for seniors? 3. What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for elderly sports participation? 4. What strategies can enhance elderly participation in sports?