Current Projects
BeTaSen - Exercise tandems in the living environments of senior citizens in Chemnitz: a contribution to community health promotion
The demographic development of our society is leading to a variety of structural changes and poses a growing challenge, combined with high socio-economic burdens. In 2018, Chemnitz recorded a proportion of over 65-year-olds of 27.8% and, according to forecasts, will be the region with the highest proportion of over 65-year-olds in 2030 within Germany and Europe as a whole. There is currently a lack of low-threshold exercise programs in the Chemnitz area to promote health in the living environments of vulnerable senior citizens (e.g. single, living in poverty, suffering from chronic illnesses).
Accordingly, the “BeTaSen” health promotion program developed by Chemnitz University of Technology aims to promote the adoption and maintenance of an active and healthy lifestyle in the living environments of older, vulnerable district residents in Chemnitz. The intervention designed as part of “BeTaSen” (duration 12 months) include needs- and resource-oriented measures to a sustainable strengthening of the fields of action “physical capacity” (strength, balance, endurance, coordination, mobility), “cognition” (e.g. memory, attention, mental flexibility) and “psychosocial health” (e.g. quality of life, mental health, social participation). The health promoting intervention is implemented by mentors and exercise instructors who are trained by project staff at Chemnitz University of Technology trough workshops and intervention manuals before the start of the intervention. After completing the intervention, the older participants should be able to become physically active independently in their own living environments in the interests of sustainability.
Within the project of the City of Chemnitz and Chemnitz University of Technology, the responsible steering committee accompanies all phases of planning (conception), implementation and evaluation of the health-promotion intervention. At the same time, the establishment and expansion of this project is planned with the municipal project partners. In addition, a significant contribution is to be made to the systematic further development and strengthening of municipal prevention and health promotion as well a to the promotion of equal health opportunities.
Contact persons: Dr. Katrin Müller, Iris Poppele, Prof. Dr. Torsten Schlesinger
Project duration: 01.10.2021 - 30.09.2025
Cooperation partners: Stadt Chemnitz (AG Gesundes Chemnitz)
Project partners: SG Adelsberg e.V. (Abteilung Seniorensportschule), Chemnitzer Freizeit- und Wohngebietssportverein e.V., Bürgerinitiative Chemnitzer City e.V., Bürgerplattform „Chemnitz-Mitte“
