Participatory action research (PAR) is the process of conducting research with people rather than for them and is perceived as an empowering activity for older adults who participate in it. However, there is little evidence that outlines and explains the reasons why older adults engage in PAR. Thus, the aim of this study was to better understand the personal benefits for older adults participating in PAR. We based our study on the experiences of four older adults who volunteered for CareComLabs, a Swiss-based PAR project, for more than two years. A constructivist grounded theory design was used to explore the benefits of participating in CareComLabs by conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The analysis yielded four categories of personal benefits of participating in CareComLabs: (a) enriching relationships; (b) broadening horizons for older age; (c) keeping in touch with one's profession; and (d) interacting in a nurturing community. Our findings may have implications for policies and frameworks focused on the identification of the potential of participatory action research as a community resource.

参与式行动研究 (PAR) 是与人一起而不是为他们进行研究的过程，被认为是参与其中的老年人的一项赋权活动。然而，几乎没有证据能够概述和解释老年人参与 PAR 的原因。因此，本研究的目的是更好地了解参加 PAR 的老年人的个人利益。我们的研究基于四名老年人的经历，他们志愿参加了瑞士的 PAR 项目 CareComLabs 两年多。采用建构主义扎根理论设计，通过进行深入的半结构化访谈来探索参与 CareComLabs 的好处。分析得出参与 CareComLabs 的四类个人好处：(a) 丰富人际关系；(b) 拓宽老年人的视野；(c) 与自己的职业保持联系；(d) 在培育社区中互动。我们的研究结果可能会对侧重于确定参与性行动研究作为社区资源的潜力的政策和框架产生影响。