Background The public health approach to end-of-life care has led to initiatives to promote caring communities, involving the community in supporting vulnerable dying people and their families. Our study aimed to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the relevance of a caring community, whether the concept of a caring community took on a different meaning during and because of the pandemic, and how issues of death, dying and bereavement were perceived. Methods Qualitative online survey of people interested in the ‘Caring Community Cologne’ project. Participants in the survey attended the launch event for the Caring Community in Cologne. Direct invitations were sent to professionals and experts in various fields. Information about the event was also disseminated via social media and the city of Cologne’s website. Data were collected from June 2020 to August 2020 and analyzed using Braun & Clarke’s thematic analysis. Results N = 63 out of 121 people participated. The median age was 60 years; 65% of the participants were female. Most of them worked in the social sector (53%). Three respondents described positive changes brought about by the pandemic: Greater sense of community and solidarity, more confrontation with one’s own finiteness, strengthening of relationships, mindfulness and slowing down of the pace of life. Negative effects mentioned included a deterioration in mental health and well-being, with an increase in anxiety, social isolation but also forced togetherness, which can lead to conflict, and a lack of emotional closeness due to restricted contact. Conclusions Our study was conducted at the beginning of the pandemic and shows that the pandemic has raised awareness of the importance and potential benefits of community-based networks and the importance of adopting a public health palliative care approach to advocate for those most in need. The findings also highlight the role of community social capital in promoting engagement, resilience and well-being.

BACKGROUND:Compassionate communities aim to empower people to deal with death, dying, and bereavement. They also intend to facilitate access to care and support at the end of life. However, there is a need for systematic knowledge on how to achieve the desired outcomes for citizens and for insights regarding the development, implementation, and evaluation. The aim of this study was to assess the views of members of a German Compassionate City, the "Caring Community Cologne" (CCC), and to report on its practical implementation. METHODS:The CCC consists of a citywide Round Table, a Steering Group, a Coordination Office and four Working Groups in areas where activities are already in place. We conducted two qualitative focus groups with nine members of three Working Groups. The transcripts were analysed with qualitative content analysis, using MAXQDA version 2022, and results were transferred into the logic model "Throughput Model". RESULTS:At the time of evaluation, participants felt that the structures of the CCC were adequate, but criticised the cooperation and transparency between them. A key aspect of this was the requirement for a coordinating body. They stressed the support of federal institutions as a key factor, while at the same time describing insufficient citizen involvement. The transfer of the results into the Throughput Model highlighted four areas that the CCC should address: (I) neighbourhood networks need to be established to strengthen civic support; (II) people need to be made aware of the issues by making them accessible in their everyday lives; (III) the many existing support initiatives need to be better linked and made more accessible; (IV) adequate healthcare service structures have to be guaranteed. CONCLUSIONS:The top-down approach described, supported by the city's engagement and involving existing initiatives can facilitate the development of a bottom-up civic engagement model in a large city. However, active citizen involvement appeared to be a challenge. The Throughput Model was a suitable basis for mapping work processes and developing evaluation plans.

Ausgehend von der These, dass das Sportengagement mit zunehmendem Alter abnimmt, geht die vorliegende Studie der Frage nach, welche Faktoren zur Unterscheidung von kontinuierlichem und diskontinuierlichem Sportverhalten im mittleren und höheren Erwachsenenalter beitragen. In die Untersuchung gingen 436 Personen im Alter von etwa 44 und 64 Jahren ein, die zu zwei Messzeitpunkten (T1:1994, T2:1998) an der „Interdisziplinären Längsschnittstudie des Erwachsenenalters“ (ILSE) teilnahmen. Die Sportaktivität wurde in einem halbstrukturierten Interview erhoben. Basierend auf den Angaben, konnten vier Kategorien des Sportverhaltens gebildet werden (kontinuierlich Sportaktive und -passive, Sporteinsteiger und -aussteiger). Die Ergebnisse zeigten zunächst, dass vor allem sportlich aktive Personen über eine bessere subjektive und objektive Gesundheit verfügen, weniger kardiovaskuläre Risikofaktoren aufweisen, über weniger Schmerzen berichten sowie über ein höheres Pro-Kopf-Nettoeinkommen und eine höhere Schulbildung verfügen. Die Ergebnisse einer Diskriminanzanalyse weisen darauf hin, dass objektive Parameter der Gesundheit aber vor allem der wahrgenommene Gesundheitszustand einen großen Beitrag zur Trennung des kontinuierlichen und diskontinuierlichen Sportverhaltens leisten. Es kann daher vermutet werden, dass eine hohe Einschätzung der eigenen Gesundheit zur Beibehaltung oder Aufnahme sportlicher Aktivität führt, während eine schlechte Einschätzung der eigenen Gesundheit eher zu Sportpassivität und zum Aufgeben sportlicher Aktivität beiträgt.