Assessing Age-Friendly Community Initiatives: Developing a Novel Survey Tool for Assessment and Evaluation.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Community Development

Background:

• Age-friendly community initiatives (AFCIs) are crucial for addressing the needs of aging populations.
• Existing measurement tools for AFCIs are insufficient in assessing planning, implementation, and sustainability.
• There is a need for a validated tool to evaluate AFCIs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a comprehensive survey tool for evaluating age-friendly community initiatives (AFCIs).

Main Methods:

• A sequential exploratory mixed-method design was employed.
• Key themes were identified through interviews with AFCI leads.
• A pilot survey was conducted, and its measurement properties were assessed.

Main Results:

• Thematic analysis of 68 key informants revealed four core themes: AFCI priorities, enablers, challenges, and benefits.
• The developed AFCI survey demonstrated reliability and validity, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.881.
• Strategies for the survey's long-term maintenance and sustainability were identified.

Conclusions:

• The validated survey offers a standardized yet flexible approach to measure diverse AFCIs.
• This tool aids community leaders and policymakers in planning, implementing, and evaluating AFCIs.
• The research enhances academic understanding of AFCIs and their effective measurement.