{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,27]],"date-time":"2026-06-27T04:48:35Z","timestamp":1782535715125,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]],"date-time":"2026-06-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782172800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100027208","name":"NextFifty Initiative","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["1-517994"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1-517994"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100027208","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Rural adolescents face persistent health inequities driven by limited access to preventive health education, intergenerational engagement, and resources that support lifelong wellness. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Active Aging for L.I.F.E., a school-based intergenerational health literacy program, in improving adolescents\u2019 attitudes toward aging and health. The four-session program, delivered through a train-the-trainer model involving older adults and undergraduate students, was implemented in three rural schools during the 2024\u20132025 academic year. A total of 86 junior high and high school students participated, with 77 completing pre- and post-program surveys assessing attitudes toward aging, health consciousness, and intergenerational engagement. Paired t-tests and multiple regression analyses examined overall program effects and differences by sex\/gender and age group. Students demonstrated significant improvements in aging attitudes, perceived relevance of aging topics, enjoyment of intergenerational interaction, and awareness of health-promoting behaviors across the lifespan. Several baseline sex\/gender and age-based gaps in health-related perceptions were reduced following participation, with stronger future-oriented attitude shifts observed among younger adolescents. These findings suggest that brief, scalable intergenerational interventions embedded in rural school settings can support early prevention, health literacy, and community capacity building, offering a promising strategy for advancing rural public health outcomes across the life course.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph23070822","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,26]],"date-time":"2026-06-26T05:52:11Z","timestamp":1782453131000},"page":"822","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Active Aging for L.I.F.E.: An Intergenerational Program to Improve Adolescents\u2019 Aging Attitudes in Rural Communities"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6391-1459","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xuewei","family":"Chen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical & Digital Health Intelligence in Clinical Systems, Institute of Medical Artificial Intelligence, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Sam Houston State University, Conroe, TX 77304, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emily","family":"Roberts","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Education and Human Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Carey, L. 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