تدوین الگوی توسعه فعالیت بدنی سالمندان استان چهارمحال و بختیاری: با تأکید بر مشارکت در فعالیت‌های ورزشی

Introduction

Population aging is one of the most significant demographic transformations of the twenty‑first century, posing profound challenges to global public health systems, social security frameworks, and economic sustainability. According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the global population aged 60 years and over is projected to reach approximately 1.42 billion by the end of 2025, and the share of this age group in the total world population continues to rise (United Nations, Ageing, 2024). As the number and proportion of older adults increase, the pursuit of healthy aging has become a key concern for governments and international organizations. Given the growing elderly population and the important role of physical activity in improving their health and quality of life, developing effective models to enhance older adults’ participation in sports activities has gained increasing importance. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop a physical activity development model for older adults in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, with an emphasis on participation in sports activities.

Methods

The present study was conducted with an exploratory approach and with the aim of expanding existing knowledge to develop a paradigmatic model for the smart governance of human resources in Iran’s Ministry of Sport and Youth. This research is qualitative in nature and was carried out based on data exploration using the grounded theory method. The Strauss and Corbin approach was adopted as the main methodological framework of the study. To collect data, semi‑structured qualitative interviews were employed. Philosophically, the study follows a phenomenological perspective; realities related to older adults’ physical activity, with an emphasis on sports participation, were examined from the viewpoints of experts and older adults. From an epistemological perspective, knowledge in this study is grounded in empirical data and qualitative analysis in order to extract an appropriate paradigmatic model. The study population included faculty members in sport management and exercise physiology (who had at least three books, research projects, or articles related to older adults’ physical activity), provincial sports administrators from the General Directorate of Sport and Youth Affairs and its affiliated county offices, health administrators and officials from the provincial University of Medical Sciences, and older adults. The latter group consisted of active older adults (individuals aged over 60 who regularly participated in sports activities at least five sessions per week) and inactive older adults who did not engage in sports activities. Sampling was conducted using purposive and snowball techniques and continued until theoretical saturation and data adequacy were achieved. In this study, data analysis was performed based on the grounded theory approach using the Strauss and Corbin model. The data analysis process consisted of three main stages: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The analysis process was conducted simultaneously with data collection.

Results

During the open coding process, a total of 143 non‑repetitive initial codes were extracted from the conducted interviews. Based on thematic similarities, these codes were grouped into 16 concepts, including the following: causal conditions (indigenous social and cultural capital, and the province’s natural and geographical potentials); contextual conditions (sports infrastructure and facilities, policy frameworks, and legal support); intervening conditions (structural and infrastructural barriers, socio‑cultural and support barriers, and individual barriers); the core category (sustainable participation of older adults in sports activities); strategies (development and optimization of infrastructure and facilities, culturally adapted education and awareness‑raising, institutional integration and integrated management, design and localization of sports programs, and fostering participation of the local community and family); and outcomes (individual, social, and economic). These concepts were subsequently organized into a category‑centered paradigmatic model. Table 6 presents these concepts along with their corresponding open codes.In particular, digital platforms and smart applications are identified as emerging facilitators that can personalize leisure experiences and increase engagement among older adults. Overall, the results emphasize that leisure enrichment is not merely a function of providing physical spaces, but rather a systemic outcome of coordinated social, economic, and institutional processes.

Conclusion

Comparison of the present study’s findings with the existing literature indicates that although many factors influencing older adults’ participation in sports have been identified in previous studies, what distinguishes this research is the presentation of an indigenous and integrated conceptual model that clarifies the relationships among these factors within a paradigmatic framework. The model demonstrates that developing older adults’ physical activity in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province requires the simultaneous utilization of the region’s natural, cultural, and social capacities, strengthening infrastructure and supportive policies, reducing structural and cultural barriers, and implementing localized strategies. In other words, the success of elderly sport development programs in this province can be achieved only when policies and programs are designed and implemented not in a uniform and generic manner, but in accordance with the cultural, geographical, and social characteristics of the region. Accordingly, the proposed model can serve as a guiding framework for planning and policymaking in the development of physical activity among older adults in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province and potentially in other regions with similar conditions. 

Footnotes 

Ethical approval

This study was conducted through fieldwork and interviews with experts. All participants took part voluntarily and with informed consent. They were assured that the information provided would be used solely for research purposes. Principles of confidentiality, privacy, and anonymity of respondents were fully observed. This research involved no experimental intervention or any form of manipulation.

Funding

This study was derived from a research project approved under SAMAT approval code 12760335536 , and was conducted under the commission and financial support of the General Department of Sports and Youth of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province.

Conflict of interest

No financial, professional, organizational, or personal conflicts of interest existed in conducting this research. The author fully adhered to the principles of research ethics, and there were no direct or indirect affiliations or interests that could have influenced the process of data collection, analysis, or interpretation of the findings. All stages of the research were carried out impartially and solely to advance scientific knowledge in the field under study.

Acknowledgments

The author hereby expresses sincere gratitude to all individuals who contributed to the implementation of this research. In particular, special thanks are extended to Ms. Mina Mokhtari, the respected expert of the General Directorate of Sport and Youth of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, for her valuable support and guidance. Appreciation is also extended to the esteemed specialists and experts who enriched the content and enhanced the quality of this study through their scientific and practical insights.