The study will last for 24 months and will be structured into various tasks:
Tasks 1 and 2. Recruitment of villages and participants
1. Villages: In collaboration with the Consell Comarcal del Priorat, the strategy for contacting the villages will be decided, whether through local councils, community centres, elderly associations, etc. Dissemination may be carried out through posters, social media, letters to residents, electronic bulletins (e-bando), etc.
The villages in the Priorat region interested in participating will be randomly assigned into two groups: control group (at least 5 villages with 8 participants each) and intervention group (at least 5 villages with 8 participants each).
2. Participants:
* Older adults (both young-old and elderly) who choose to take part in the project will sign an informed consent form.
* Stakeholders from the quadruple helix model: companies, government officials, academic institutions, and the community members who may influence the lifestyles of older adults (both young-old adults and elderly) in the rural Priorat region will be contacted by phone or email and informed about the project. Stakeholders will also sign an informed consent form.
Task 3. Characterisation of participants Questionnaires about lifestyles and anthropometric measurements will be completed in small sessions, individually, in person, and on paper. Also, focus groups will be done to gather insights into participants' perceptions of ageing, their needs, barriers, and motivations to improve and maintain healthy lifestyles. Three separate focus groups will be conducted with: young-old adults (60-74 years), elderly adults (≥75 years), and stakeholders, each consisting of 6-8 participants.
Focus groups are structured, moderated group discussions where participants are encouraged to freely express their opinions in response to specific questions. Each session will last approximately 75 minutes and be led by an external moderator.
Baseline data (questionnaires and focus group data) will be analyzed to prepare the co-creation process, ensuring that it is adapted to the real needs and characteristics of the population.
Task 4. Co-creation of solutions Based on the information gathered during the initial characterisation (baseline assessments and focus groups), solutions will be developed through a co-creation process involving older participants (young-old and elderly) from the intervention groups and the stakeholders.
The co-creation session (lasting 4 hours) will follow the PRODUCES framework: a) Problem: Unhealthy lifestyles among people aged ≥ 60 years old, b) Objective: To design solutions to improve lifestyles of people aged ≥ 60 years old, c) Design: Participatory research to increase individual empowerment, d) Users: People aged ≥ 60 years old, e) Co-creators: Stakeholders and older adults, f) Evaluation: Through comparison of intervention and control group, g) Scalability: Model generalisable to other similar areas with elderly populations.
The co-creation process is structured as follows: a) Co-ideation: Word Café dynamics, b) Co-design of the most voted ideas, c) Collaborative prototyping and testing. After sharing ideas, activities, events, dissemination materials, and any other elements deemed necessary to address identified barriers and needs related to lifestyle will be designed.
Proposed activities that provide solutions and fall within the project's budget (agreed upon with the Consell Comarcal del Priorat to ensure sustainability) will be presented and discussed among participants. Finally, participants will take part in prioritizing proposals and defining the final solutions to be implemented."
Task 5. Implementation of the intervention in the intervention villages The co-created intervention for older adults (young-old and elderly) in Priorat villages will be implemented in IG village over 6 months.
Once the intervention has been implemented in intervention villages, the same will be offered to control villages, but without further evaluation, to avoid bias and ensure fair access to potential benefits.
Task 6. Participant characterization (younger-old and older-old) - final assessment: Both participants who received the intervention and those in the control group will be evaluated by questionnaires about lifestyles and anthropometric measurements, to compare any differences between those who underwent the intervention and those who did not.
