Abstract

Background: As Taiwan is about to enter a super-aged society, the research team has found in previous studies that improving the psychological aspects of older people will contribute to promoting healthy aging. There is existing evidence indicating that interventional mindfulness courses are effective in enhancing self-awareness and well-being among older adults. However, there are still no relevant theory-based mindfulness courses for older people in Taiwan. Therefore, this study aims to use the modified Delphi method to develop mindfulness courses for older adults in the community.

Methods: We developed the mindfulness curriculum through literature review, combine a course outline by integrating Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) curriculum, Dr. McBee’s Mindfulness-Based Elder Care (MBEC), and Mindful Sustainable Aging (MSA) proposed by Nilsson et al. A total of 16 professional mindfulness instructors, experts in geriatric psychology, psychologist and clinical care specialists were invited to assess the applicability of the course content in three stages and offer recommendations for modifications in writing. In the first stage of discussion, the focus was on reviewing the course outline and providing feedback for the development of course content, while the second and third stages concentrated on assessing the applicability of the content and its alignment with the main structure of the course. The experts were invited to evaluate the suitability of each concept using a 4-point Likert scale. In addition, the panel of experts established a consensus threshold of >0.78, with selected items rated as quite suitable or highly suitable. The content validity index (CVI) was evaluated.

Results: The research showed that the CVI in the second stage was 0.985, while that in the third stage was 0.988 for suitability and clarity. Eight curriculums were conducted, with consensus reached on 103 items covering pre-course preparation, course content, after-class exercises, etc.

Conclusion: This study provides relevant course guidelines for mindfulness programs targeting older adults in Taiwan’s communities. It will also serve as a reference for promoting community-based psychological care to achieve healthy aging for older adults.

Notes

References:

Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full catastrophe living, revised edition: how to cope with stress, pain and illness using mindfulness meditation. . Hachette UK.

McBee, L. (2014). Chapter 11 - I Am Sure to Grow Old: Mindfulness-Based Elder Care. In R. A. Baer (Ed.), Mindfulness-Based Treatment Approaches (Second Edition) (pp. 239-265). Academic Press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-416031-6.00011-6

Nilsson, H. (2023). The four-dimensional model of mindful sustainable aging: A holistic alternative. Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging, 35(4), 430-454.

Description

This study aims to use the modified Delphi method to develop mindfulness courses for older adults in the community. After experts evaluated it, the research showed a high CVI for suitability and clarity. This study provides relevant course guidelines for mindfulness programs targeting older adults in Taiwan’s communities. It is a reference for promoting community-based psychological care to support healthy aging among older adults.

Author Details

Yu-Rung Wang, PhD; Chia-Hsiu Chang, PhD

Sigma Membership

Lambda Beta at-Large

Type

Poster

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Other

Research Approach

Other

Keywords:

Curriculum Development, Interprofessional, Interdisciplinary, Elderly, Aged, Older Adults, Health Aging, Mindfulness, Taiwan

Conference Name

36th International Nursing Research Congress

Conference Host

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Seattle, Washington, USA

Conference Year

2025

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Click on the above link to access the poster.

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Developing a Diverse Mindfulness Course for the Elderly in the Community- A Modified Delphi Study

Seattle, Washington, USA

Background: As Taiwan is about to enter a super-aged society, the research team has found in previous studies that improving the psychological aspects of older people will contribute to promoting healthy aging. There is existing evidence indicating that interventional mindfulness courses are effective in enhancing self-awareness and well-being among older adults. However, there are still no relevant theory-based mindfulness courses for older people in Taiwan. Therefore, this study aims to use the modified Delphi method to develop mindfulness courses for older adults in the community.

Methods: We developed the mindfulness curriculum through literature review, combine a course outline by integrating Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) curriculum, Dr. McBee’s Mindfulness-Based Elder Care (MBEC), and Mindful Sustainable Aging (MSA) proposed by Nilsson et al. A total of 16 professional mindfulness instructors, experts in geriatric psychology, psychologist and clinical care specialists were invited to assess the applicability of the course content in three stages and offer recommendations for modifications in writing. In the first stage of discussion, the focus was on reviewing the course outline and providing feedback for the development of course content, while the second and third stages concentrated on assessing the applicability of the content and its alignment with the main structure of the course. The experts were invited to evaluate the suitability of each concept using a 4-point Likert scale. In addition, the panel of experts established a consensus threshold of >0.78, with selected items rated as quite suitable or highly suitable. The content validity index (CVI) was evaluated.

Results: The research showed that the CVI in the second stage was 0.985, while that in the third stage was 0.988 for suitability and clarity. Eight curriculums were conducted, with consensus reached on 103 items covering pre-course preparation, course content, after-class exercises, etc.

Conclusion: This study provides relevant course guidelines for mindfulness programs targeting older adults in Taiwan’s communities. It will also serve as a reference for promoting community-based psychological care to achieve healthy aging for older adults.