Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
07:27
Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty
Published on: October 6, 2016
Evaluation of physical activity programmes for elderly people - a descriptive study using the EFQM' criteria
Ana I Marques1, Maria J Rosa, Pedro Soares
1Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure - Faculty of Sports, Porto University, Portugal. anavalente@netvisao.pt
BMC Public Health
|February 23, 2011
Summary
Physical activity (PA) programmes for older adults show good practices in processes and leadership, but require improvement in areas like policy and strategy. This study evaluated PA programme quality using the EFQM Excellence Model.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Quality Management
Background:
- Growing concern for designing effective physical activity (PA) programmes for the elderly to mitigate aging effects.
- Quality is paramount in PA programmes for older adults.
- The European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model offers a framework for evaluating organizational quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the quality management models of PA programmes for elderly people in Portuguese Local Administration.
- To assess these programmes against the criteria of the EFQM Excellence Model.
- To identify areas for enhancing the quality of life for elderly individuals through PA.
Main Methods:
- Methodological triangulation involving 26 PA programmes.
- Data collection through questionnaire surveys, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis.
- Statistical analysis using frequencies and percentages for categorical data.
Main Results:
- High occurrence of quality practices in Processes (65.38%), Leadership (61.03%), Customer results (58.46%), and People (51.28%).
- Lower occurrence of quality practices in Partnerships and resources (45.77%), People results (41.03%), Policy and strategy (37.91%), Key performance results (19.23%), and Society results (19.23%).
Conclusions:
- Portuguese PA programmes for the elderly demonstrate some good quality practices.
- Significant areas for improvement exist within these programmes, particularly in policy, strategy, and resource management.
- Enhancing quality management is crucial for maximizing the benefits of PA for older adults.
