Understanding the lived experiences of athlete elderly in COVID-19 pandemic in Tehran (A phenomenological approach)

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Epidemics create extensive socio-behavioral changes in all areas, sport is no exception. The current study aimed at understanding the lived experience of athletic older adults from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods & Materials The present qualitative research applied a phenomenological approach. The study participants were 16 athletic older adults in Tehran City, Iran who were selected by the purposive sampling method. Through in-depth and unstructured interviews, the required data were collected. The obtained data were analyzed using the seven-step Diekelman's (1993) approach. Results: According to the obtained data, 4 categories of meanings were identified about the lived experiences of the explored elderly from the COVID-19 pandemic. These categories included the experiences of psychosocial isolation and thinking about death;the marginalization of older adult's sports;mood swings and lifestyle changes, and finding opportunities for sports activism. Conclusion: These concepts of experiences in the life-world of athletic older adults in Tehran from the COVID-19 pandemic were the constitutions of their social action. In the case of proper analysis and application, they can be helpful in better managing professional sports in epidemics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)