Abstract

Background: As the global population ages, promoting active aging among older adults has become a priority. Community centers are widely implemented to support this goal in Taiwan. However, older men remain consistently underrepresented in those centers and prefer self-initiated activities. This qualitative study explored Taiwanese older men’s perspectives on community centers and their preferred social activities, with attention to how masculinity shapes participation.

Methods: Thirteen retired Taiwanese men aged 61–77 participated in the study. Data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews (1–2 hours), five participant observations, and the Taiwanese Meaningful Activity Participation Assessment (T-MAPA). Data was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, with peer debriefing, triangulation, and an audit trail to enhance rigor.

Results: Four themes were developed. First, “The Community Center Just Doesn’t Suit Me” reflected perceptions of community centers as feminized spaces or places for individuals with functional decline, discouraging participation. Second, “Maintaining Health, Achievement, and Friendship via Preferred Activities” illustrated motivations for engaging in activities such as hiking, table tennis, tea groups, and coffee groups. Third, “Establishing Male-Exclusive Spaces” highlighted how older men created spaces to reconstruct masculinity through sharing narratives, offering advice, and temporarily distancing themselves from family responsibilities. Fourth, “A Blueprint for Community Centers to Meet Older Men’s Needs” presented recommendations emphasizing autonomy, contribution, and informal interaction to motivate older men’s participation.

Implications: Community programs could incorporate male-preferred activities, offer opportunities for contribution, and create informal, male-friendly spaces to attract underrepresented older men. Health programs should avoid framing participation around dependency and instead emphasize autonomy and competence to better engage older men. 

Conclusion: The findings highlight masculinity’s dual role: it may limit engagement in health settings, but also provides an opportunity for designing programs to promote older men’s health. Rather than reinforcing dominant norms, practitioners can reflect on how masculinity shapes participation to create more inclusive pathways to active aging.

Contributing Authors

Sing-Han Chiu (he/him)
PhD Student
Department of Occupational Therapy
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
New York University

Email: sc11806@nyu.edu

Janet Njelesani, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA (she/her)

Associate Professor

Department of Occupational Therapy

Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
New York University

Email: janet.njelesani@nyu.edu

Acknowledgements 

We would like to thank Dr. I-Ting Hwang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, for her guidance in data analysis and contributions to the development of study themes.