Featured Projects
The Centre on Aging highlights current research and educational projects led by its members and trainees. These projects reflect the wide range of aging-related work happening across UCalgary and demonstrate the value of interdisciplinary collaboration.
This page is regularly updated with new and ongoing projects that are helping to shape the future of aging research and education.
Instructor Education: Supporting Adults in the Group Exercise Context
Group physical activity is a popular way for adults to stay active, partly because it offers opportunities for meaningful social interaction. Social support—anything a person does to help others—plays an important role in adopting and maintaining healthy behaviours, while also meeting the need for social connection. It is often a key element of the positive interactions found in group exercise settings.
However, simply bringing people together does not guarantee supportive or positive experiences. In these environments, fitness professionals can enhance both physical and social experiences by intentionally fostering connection and encouraging supportive behaviours.
Led by Dr. Meghan McDonough in the Faculty of Kinesiology, a multi-site research project was undertaken to develop an evidence-informed resource that equips fitness instructors with the knowledge and skills to foster social support in their programs. The team included community partners and researchers from the University of Calgary, the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, and the Université de Montréal.
To begin, the team conducted two reviews to identify social support strategies in physical activity settings. These strategies were then grouped into nine support functions.
Based on these findings, the team developed a draft educational resource, which was shared with fitness professionals and program participants for feedback.
Instructors then completed an online training module based on the revised resource, and their classes were observed to assess how they applied the strategies. Interviews with these instructors and participants provided additional insights, which informed the final version of the resource.
Explore the full resource for free in English or French by clicking the buttons below, or visit the project page to learn more about the research behind it.
Companionship Across Generations and Species: A Qualitative Study on the Companion Animal-Older Adult Reciprocal Relationship
“Had it not been for Dolly, I’m certain I wouldn’t be here today,” says Ruth (pseudonym), in an email titled Furry Friends.
For many older adults, companion animals are among their most stable relationships, and many devote extensive time to caring for and bonding with them. Izza Babar, a Master’s student in Community Health Sciences, is exploring this dynamic. Using photo elicitation—a research method that uses images to prompt dialogue and reflection—her work examines how older adults understand reciprocal relationships with companion animals. This includes the meanings they attach to companionship, how daily care is experienced, and how animal agency and communication are interpreted in everyday life.
Participants were asked to take photographs that captured their bond with their companion animals before the interview, and then share the stories behind these images.
While analysis is still underway, Izza’s preliminary findings challenge the assumption that care is unidirectional. Participants described care as negotiated and reciprocal, shaped through ongoing interaction rather than being fixed or human-led. They also shared stories of collective care, in which well-being extended to both the human and the animal. Support circulated through neighbours, communities, and organizational networks, helping ensure companion animals were cared for when needs overlapped or conflicted.
Earlier this year, Izza won the Digitally Generated category of the Images of Research Competition hosted by the Faculty of Graduate Studies for this image. Click on it to see the UToday article about it!