Impact of an Intergenerational Bonding Program on Dimensions of Health and Related Outcomes Among Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis

TL;DR

This study finds that intergenerational bonding programs improve social health in older adults, but not other health dimensions.

Contribution

The study provides a meta-analysis of intergenerational bonding programs' effects on health outcomes in older adults.

Findings

Social health improved significantly in the intergenerational program group.

Mental health showed a trend but was not statistically significant.

Physical health, well-being, and meaningfulness showed no significant differences.

Abstract

Nowadays, with people living longer and family structures changing, older adults often experience loneliness and neglect. This study aimed to assess the impact of an intergenerational bonding program on dimensions of health and related outcomes among older adults. An extensive search was carried out between January 1, 2014, and October 4, 2023, using PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guideline was followed in this study. Heterogeneity was assessed through the I2 statistics by using a fixed-effect model, and the risk ratio was calculated. A total of 234 participants from the four trials were included in the meta-analysis. Out of the five outcomes, social health showed a significant improvement in the intergenerational program group as compared to the control group with a mean difference (MD) of -0.27 (95% CI -0.48 to -0.06; p=0.02* (*: statistically significant improvement)) from two studies without any significant heterogeneity (I2=0%; p=0.34). Although a pooled analysis of mental health favors the intergenerational program group with an MD of -0.10 (95% CI 0.24 to 0.03; p<0.14), it was not statistically significant. However, the remaining three outcomes, namely, physical health, well-being, and meaningfulness outcomes, did not favor either the intergenerational program group or the control group (p>0.05). Social health improved in the intergenerational program group. The study findings support a strong recommendation for the implementation of the intergenerational program to uplift the social relationships of older adults. The rest of the dimensions of health need to be further evaluated with large sample size studies.

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