Dataset Information

Association between social participation and disability-free life expectancy in Japanese older people: the Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although social participation has been reported to be associated with significantly lower risks of mortality and disability, to our knowledge, no study has estimated its impact on disability-free life expectancy (DFLE). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between social participation and DFLE in community-dwelling older people.

Methods

We analyzed 11-year follow-up data from a cohort study of 11,982 Japanese older adults (age ≥65 years) in 2006. We collected information on the number of social participation using a questionnaire. Using this information, we categorized the participants into four groups. DFLE was defined as the average number of years a person could expect to live without disability. The multistate life table method using Markov model was employed for calculating DFLE.

Results

The results revealed that DFLE (95% confidence interval) according to the number of social participation was 17.8 years (17.3-18.2) for no activities, 20.9 (20.4-21.5) for one activity, 21.5 (20.9-22.0) for two activities, and 22.7 (22.1-23.2) for three activities in men, and 21.8 (21.5-22.2), 25.1 (24.6-25.6), 25.3 (24.7-25.9), and 26.7 years (26.1-27.4), respectively, in women. This difference in DFLE did not change after the participants were stratified for smoking, body mass index, physical activity, and depression.

Conclusions

Social participation is associated with longer DFLE among Japanese older people; therefore, encouraging social participation at the population level could increase life-years lived in good health.

SUBMITTER: Matsuyama S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9424187 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Association Between Social Participation and Disability-free Life Expectancy in Japanese Older People: The Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study.

Matsuyama Sanae S Murakami Yoshitaka Y Lu Yukai Y Sone Toshimasa T Sugawara Yumi Y Tsuji Ichiro I

Journal of epidemiology 20210811 10

<h4>Background</h4>Although social participation has been reported to be associated with significantly lower risks of mortality and disability, to our knowledge, no study has estimated its impact on disability-free life expectancy (DFLE). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between social participation and DFLE in community-dwelling older people.<h4>Methods</h4>We analyzed 11-year follow-up data from a cohort study of 11,982 Japanese older adults (age ≥65 years) in 2006. W ...[more]

PMID: 33775973

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Project description:ObjectivesSocial isolation is a particular problem among older people and social participation may reduce future isolation. However, it is unclear which types of activities and which level of participation are effective. This study examines the relationship between social participation and isolation among Japanese older people by employing a 3-year longitudinal study.MethodsA mail survey was sent to 3,518 community-dwelling older people in an urban area in 2014 (baseline: BL). We then conducted follow-up mail survey on respondents who were non-isolated at BL in 2017 (follow-up: FL), with isolation being defined as being in contact with others less than once a week. An analysis was carried out on 1,070 subjects (398 men and 672 women). Social participation is defined by participation in group activities (community, senior club, hobbies, sports, volunteering, politics, industry, and religion). A logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between the types of social participation and the number of organization types at BL, and isolation at FL.ResultsAt FL, 75 men (18.8%) and 59 women (8.8%) were considered to be isolated. Among the men, participation in a hobby group and sports group both significantly reduced the degree of isolation. Moreover, participation in two organizations and three or more organizations significantly lowered the risk of isolation when compared to non-participants. Among women, there were no significant associations among particular types of social activities and isolation. On the other hand, participation in one organization and three or more organizations significantly reduced their isolation when compared to non-participants. There was a significant linear trend between the number of types of organizations and isolation, regardless of gender.ConclusionsParticipation in social activities reduces future isolation in older people. Encouraging participation in social activities could help reduce negative health outcomes associated with social isolation later in life.