ABSTRACT
This study provides a systematic analysis of sports promotion efficiency in 22 administrative districts in Taiwan from 2011 to 2018. We first considered sports behavior and sports information promotion and connected the multiple intermediate products using network DEA, used the public performance and outputs to measure the total efficiency of sports promotion in the 22 administrative districts, and then established the final input–output indicators. The long-term tracking of sports promotion efficiency shows that, while Taipei and Taoyuan experienced upward trends, the other 20 administrative districts saw declining trends. We also used truncated regression to identify 14 environmental variables that affected the efficiency of sports promotion in the 22 administrative districts from 2016 to 2018, with the results showing that funding, satisfaction with life, and average BMI in each administrative district were significant factors, revealing the latest trends in and measurements of governance in terms of government accessibility.
ABSTRACT
Background Healthy aging with dignity and aging in place are important concepts for most Taiwanese individuals, which can hopefully affect health policies. However, many elders have been encouraged to stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic since January 2020. Consequently, most elders limited their social participation in a previous regular activity in the community center, which undermined the strategies for healthy aging. Few studies have explored how to promote or maintain holistic health and physical fitness for community elders during the COVID-19 worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed to establish and evaluate the impact of an innovative summer camp program for older adults in the rural community.Methods A quasi-experimental pre-post-test design was used. The innovative summer camp (ISC) was based on a standardized protocol of modified Baduanjin exercise combined with three recreation breathing games. Participants were recruited from three community centers around the western coastal Yunlin County between June and August 2020. ISC program was designed and demonstrated by the research team and conducted by each community care worker for 90 minutes per day, five days per week, for 12 weeks. The paired t-test was used to measure the physical biomarkers, pulmonary lung function, and health-related fitness changes.Results Sixty-eight participants completed this study. The findings indicated that the ISC program significantly improved elderly individuals’ physiological biomarkers and health-related fitness, including reduced body weight, waistline, systolic blood pressure, and increased forced vital capacity, biceps arm flexion, sit and stand from a chair, step with a knee up in situ, and stand on one foot with eyes open. Besides wearing a facemask during the activity, almost all participants reported that they felt happy, satisfied and hoped that this program can be continued in their community center.Conclusion This pilot study supported the finding that a three-month ISC program can improve physical biomarkers and health-related fitness. The results strongly suggested that community care workers can employ the proposed ISC program as routine activity for community elders.