Presentation Information
[5OlXCzC1-05]Building Brotherhood: Enhancing Social Engagement Among Male Seniors Through Targeted Community-Building Activities in Active Ageing Centres what
*Anne Neo, Aqilah Nintendo Mohammad Yunus Noor, Sarah Swee, Eileen Yeo , Emily Ong, Olivia Leong
Keywords:
Health,Social engagement,Social prescribing,Well-being,Minority group
Purpose:Male senior participation rates in Active Ageing Centres (AACs) remain consistently lower than those of female seniors. This project hypothesises that male seniors who develop a stronger sense of community will engage more regularly and broadly with centre activities. The study aims to examine whether creating a male-focused community can increase overall social engagement and participation in AAC programmes.
Method:A cohort of 30 male seniors were recruited to participate in a curated series of male-targeted activities conducted over 8–10 sessions (conducted on a twice weekly basis) Activities include interest-based and skills-oriented programmes such as snooker, happy hour, drone flying, AI learning workshops, and male-specific health talks.
Each participant is expected to attend a minimum of four sessions.
Data collected will at specific time points- 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10th session using qualitative surveys with Likert-scale items and focus group discussions at the week 0 , 6 and 10.
Proxy measures include (1) monthly number of centre programmes attended, (2) self-reported sense of community, happiness, and belonging, and (3) participation in activities beyond the curated male interest group.
Results:The primary outcome is a measurable increase in sense of community over time, with secondary outcomes including increased participation frequency and diversity of centre activities.
Correlational analysis will examine whether increases in perceived community belonging are associated with a linear increase in overall social engagement.
The study also identifies the session threshold at which meaningful attitudinal and behavioural changes emerge.
Considerations:Limitations include a small sample size, reliance on self-reported data, and potential selection bias, as participants may already possess some intrinsic motivation. Gender-specific programming may also require careful facilitation to avoid reinforcing stereotypes while remaining relevant and engaging.
Conclusions:This project explores a targeted, community-driven approach to engaging male seniors, addressing a known participation gap in AACs.
Findings may inform future minority related programme design and contribute to more inclusive, sustainable strategies for promoting social engagement among older adults.
Method:A cohort of 30 male seniors were recruited to participate in a curated series of male-targeted activities conducted over 8–10 sessions (conducted on a twice weekly basis) Activities include interest-based and skills-oriented programmes such as snooker, happy hour, drone flying, AI learning workshops, and male-specific health talks.
Each participant is expected to attend a minimum of four sessions.
Data collected will at specific time points- 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10th session using qualitative surveys with Likert-scale items and focus group discussions at the week 0 , 6 and 10.
Proxy measures include (1) monthly number of centre programmes attended, (2) self-reported sense of community, happiness, and belonging, and (3) participation in activities beyond the curated male interest group.
Results:The primary outcome is a measurable increase in sense of community over time, with secondary outcomes including increased participation frequency and diversity of centre activities.
Correlational analysis will examine whether increases in perceived community belonging are associated with a linear increase in overall social engagement.
The study also identifies the session threshold at which meaningful attitudinal and behavioural changes emerge.
Considerations:Limitations include a small sample size, reliance on self-reported data, and potential selection bias, as participants may already possess some intrinsic motivation. Gender-specific programming may also require careful facilitation to avoid reinforcing stereotypes while remaining relevant and engaging.
Conclusions:This project explores a targeted, community-driven approach to engaging male seniors, addressing a known participation gap in AACs.
Findings may inform future minority related programme design and contribute to more inclusive, sustainable strategies for promoting social engagement among older adults.
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