Evaluating an Intergenerational Program on Psychosocial Well-Being and Attitudes Toward Aging: A Quasi-Experimental Study in a Rural Area of Portugal

Introduction: Population aging and rural depopulation intensify social isolation and ageism among older adults in low-density territories. Intergenerational programs represent a community-based strategy to promote psychosocial well-being and challenge age-related stereotypes, yet evidence from rural contexts remains limited.

Methods: A nonrandomized controlled pretest–posttest design with convenience sampling was used. The intervention group comprised five villages; one separate village served as control. Participants included 29 older adults (≥60 years) and 95 children (aged 6–9). The program ran from September 2022 to June 2023 and combined school-based and community-based intergenerational sessions. Outcomes for older adults included cognitive functioning, anxiety, depression, quality of life, autonomy, and social participation. Children's attitudes toward aging were assessed using a validated multidimensional scale. Non-parametric statistics were used for within- and between-group analyses.

Results: Within-group analyses showed significant improvements in the intervention group across five psychosocial outcomes for older adults (anxiety, depression, quality of life, autonomy, and social participation; r = .23–.74) and all attitudinal dimensions for children (r = .34–.57). Between-group comparisons revealed a significant differential advantage for children's attitudes toward older adults' personality traits (p = .042). No significant between-group differences were found for older adults.

Conclusions: Findings provide preliminary evidence of the feasibility and potential psychosocial benefits of implementing intergenerational programs in rural contexts. Results should be interpreted cautiously given the nonrandomized design, small sample, and baseline group inequivalence. Methodologically stronger studies are needed to test efficacy.