Social Relationships in Metropolitan Areas

Members

Theme Leader:
Erika Kobayashi, Ph.D.
Researcher:
Yoh Murayama, Ph.D., Hiroki Mori, M.A., Misao Kojima, Ph.D.
Adjunct Researcher:
Satoshi Seino, Ph.D., Masami Hasebe, Ph.D., Masumi Takeuchi, Ph.D., Masakazu Hiramatsu, Ph.D., Jun Yamaguchi, M.A., Toshiki Hata, Ph.D., Samanosuke Hori, Takeshi Nakamachi, M.A.
Other Research Staff:
Kaya Joho, Ph.D., Hiromi Kazama, Minako Fujita

Keywords

Social isolation, Low-Income and Economic Marginalization (LIEM), Prevention of social isolation, PDCA cycle, Kayoi-no-ba, COVID-19, Regional differences, Birth cohort, Long-term longitudinal study

Major Research Titles

  1. Prevention of social isolation from middle age
  2. Promotion and evaluation of various "kayoi-no-ba" along the PDCA cycle
  3. Longitudinal changes in health and lives in old age and their period and regional differences

Profile

We will conduct basic and applied research to promote social connections among middle-aged and older adults in large cities, according to their characteristics and social trends.

1. Prevention of social isolation from middle age

The population and percentage of older adults living in single-person households have been increasing, with one in four persons aged 65 years and over living alone in Tokyo (The 2020 Population Census). Older adults living alone used to be mostly widowed women, but the number of unmarried singles including men is increasing rapidly, which requires measures to cope with these changes.

In addition, given the increasing number of non-regular workers in the middle-aged generation, there is concern that the number of older adults with low-income and economic marginalization (LIEM) will increase in the future. Previous studies have shown the interrelationship of social relationships, financial status, and health, such that people with economic problems are more likely to be isolated, and that isolation and poor economic status worsen physical and mental health.

To prevent social isolation and financial deprivation in old age, early intervention is important. This project targets people from middle age to young-old age and aims to (a) identify life course patterns and risk factors that lead to isolation, and mechanisms that suppress help-seeking despite a difficult situation, and (b) develop and implement programs for prevention of isolation and deprivation. For (a), data will be used from semi-structured interviews with older adults who have experienced financial hardship over their life course and from mail surveys of a probability sample of middle-aged and older adults living alone in the community.

2. Promotion and evaluation of various "kayoi-no-ba" along the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Action) cycle

Kayoi-no-ba is defined as "a place and opportunity for various activities at least once a month that contribute to the prevention of needing care and frailty, in which older adults and other community residents engage on their own initiative in connection with others." (Ueda et al., 2022). Thus, it is not limited to physical exercise or functional training, but includes a variety of initiatives in which residents can participate according to their own characteristics and interests, and is expected to involve residents of multiple generations. In this way, the creation of kayoi-no-ba is also community building toward the realization of an inclusive society.

Although the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recommends the promotion of kayoi-no-ba along the Plan, Do, Check, Action (PDCA) cycle, there are no established promotion measures or standard evaluation frameworks that each municipality can follow. From FY2020 to FY2022, the Healthy Aging and Community Health (now Healthy Aging) research group developed a framework for evaluating initiatives for kayoi-no-ba (ACT-RECIPE) and a logic model for evaluating the effectiveness of kayoi-no-ba, which resulted in "A Guide for Promoting Initiatives for Kayoi-no-ba along the PDCA Cycle" for local governments.

Using these tools, the Social Relationships in Metropolitan Areas research group is conducting the following research: (a) epidemiological analyses (observational research) to present evidence that contributes to the promotion of various kayoi-no-ba and to verify their effectiveness; (b) community intervention research to promote initiatives for kayoi-no-ba along the PDCA cycle (action research); and (c) research to promote the participation of residents as "supporters" of kayoi-no-ba. Through these efforts, the project aims to establish a system to promote a variety of kayoi-no-ba that helps older adults maintain their health and find fulfillment in life (ikigai), in collaboration with local governments and residents.

Part of this project is conducted in collaboration with the Tokyo Metropolitan Support Center for Preventative Long-term and Frail Elderly Care.

3. Longitudinal changes in health and lives in old age and their period and regional differences

This project is based on the "Nationwide Long-term Longitudinal Study on the Health and Lives of Japanese Older Adults (JAHEAD)", one of the Tokyo LSA projects. The JAHEAD (Japanese Aging and Health Dynamics; National Survey of the Japanese Elderly, NSJE) started in 1987 with people aged ≥ 60 years who were randomly selected throughout Japan, and the participants have subsequently been followed up every 3-6 years while adding new samples. Through 2024, eleven waves of home-visit interviews have been conducted. More information on the survey methodology and results to date is available on the JAHEAD website.

We will continue to examine social relationships and participation in terms of their age-related changes and their potential factors, such as family, health, and economic status, as well as predictors of health and well-being.

In addition, our focus is on regional differences and changes across periods and birth cohorts in older adults. For the regional differences, differences by the level of urbanization will be examined to identify the characteristics of older adults in large cities compared with their counterparts in other areas. For the period and/or cohort changes, in addition to differences by survey year and birth cohort, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is a focus.

References

  1. Seino S, Abe T, Nofuji Y, Hata T, Shinkai S, Kitamura A, Fujiwara Y. Dose-response associations of physical activity and sitting time with all-cause mortality in older Japanese adults. Journal of Epidemiology, 34(1), 23-30, 2024.
    https://doi.org/10.2188/jea.JE20220246
  2. Murayama Y, Yamazaki S, Hasebe M, Kobayashi E. Effects of adverse life events on mental health in single older adults in Japan. Psychogeriatrics, 23(5), 838-346, 2023.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/psyg.13007
  3. Murayama Y, Hasebe M, Yamazaki S, Yamaguchi J, Kobayashi E. Social work for vulnerable and marginalized people during COVID-19 in Japan. Asian Social Work and Policy Review, 17(3), 162-175, 2023.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/aswp.12282
  4. Kobayashi E, Harada K, Okamoto S, Liang J. Living alone and depressive symptoms among older Japanese: Do urbanization and time period matter? The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 78(4), 718-729, 2023.
    https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbac195
  5. Okamoto S, Kobayashi E, Komamura K. The retirement-health puzzle: A sigh of relief at retirement? The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 78(1), 167-178, 2023.
    https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbac127
  6. Seino S, Nofuji Y, Yokoyama Y, Abe T, Nishi M, Yamashita M, Narita M, Hata T, Shinkai S, Kitamura A, Fujiwara Y. Combined impacts of physical activity, dietary variety, and social interaction on incident functional disability in older Japanese adults. Journal of Epidemiology,33(7), 350-359, 2023.
    https://doi.org/10.2188/jea.JE20210392
  7. Murayama Y, Yamazaki S, Hasebe M, Takahashi T, Yamaguchi J, Kobayashi E. Psychological factors that suppress help-seeking among middle-aged and older adults living alone. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17):10620, 2022.
    https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710620
  8. Seino S, Shinkai S, Kitamura A, Nofuji Y, Yokoyama Y, Hata T, Fujiwara Y. Impact of the first-fourth waves of the COVID-19 pandemic on new applications for long-term care insurance in a metropolitan area of Japan. Journal of Epidemiology, 32(11), 524-526, 2022.
    https://doi.org/10.2188/jea.JE20220084
  9. Kobayashi E, Sugawara I, Fukaya T, Okamoto S, Liang J. Retirement and social activities in Japan: Does age moderate the association? Research on Aging, 44(2), 144-155, 2022.
    https://doi.org/10.1177/01640275211005185
  10. Murayama Y, Hasebe M, Nishi M, Fujiwara Y. The effects of reciprocal support on mental health among intergenerational non-relatives: A comparison by age group. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2022, 99:104601.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2021.104601
  11. Murayama Y, Yamaguchi J, Yasunaga M, Kuraoka M, Fujiwara Y. Effects of participating in intergenerational programs on the development of high school students' self-efficacy. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 20(4), 406-423, 2022.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/15350770.2021.1952133
  12. Seino S, Kitamura A, Abe T, Taniguchi Y, Murayama H, Amano H, Nishi M, Nofuji Y, Yokoyama Y, Narita M, Shinkai S, Fujiwara Y. Dose-response relationships of sarcopenia parameters with incident disability and mortality in older Japanese adults. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle, 13(2), 932-944, 2022.
    https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.12958
  13. Murayama Y, Hasebe M, Nishi M, Fujiwara Y. The impact of mutual aid on mental health and perceived isolation among the single elderly: An examination of economic status. Geriatrics & Gerontology International, 21(7), 555-560, 2021.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2021.104601
  14. Murayama Y, Yamazaki S, Hasebe M, Takahashi T, Kobayashi E. How single older men reach poverty and its relationship with help-seeking preferences. Japanese Psychological Research, 63(3), 406-420, 2021.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/jpr.12329
  15. Seino S, Tomine Y, Nishi M, Hata T, Fujiwara Y, Shinkai S, Kitamura A. Effectiveness of a community-wide intervention for population-level frailty and functional health in older adults: a 2-year cluster nonrandomized controlled trial. Prev Med, 149, 106620, 2021.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106620
  16. Seino S, Nofuji Y, Yokoyama Y, Tomine Y, Nishi M, Hata T, Shinkai S, Fujiwara Y, Kitamura A. Impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on new applications for long-term care insurance in a metropolitan area of Japan. J Epidemiol, 31(6), 401-402, 2021.
    https://doi.org/10.2188/jea.JE20210047
  17. Seino S, Kitamura A, Abe T, Taniguchi Y, Yokoyama Y, Amano H, Nishi M, Nofuji Y, Narita M, Ikeuchi T, Fujiwara Y, Shinkai S. Dose-response relationships between body composition indices and all-cause mortality in older Japanese adults. J Am Med Dir Assoc, 21(6):726-733.e4, 2020.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2019.11.018
  18. Seino S, Kitamura A, Tomine Y, Tanaka I, Nishi M, Taniguchi YU, Yokoyama Y, Amano H, Fujiwara Y, Shinkai S. Exercise arrangement is associated with physical and mental health in older adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 51(6), 1146-1153, 2019.
    https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001884
  19. Seino S, Kitamura A, Tomine Y, Tanaka I, Nishi M, Nonaka K, Nofuji Y, Narita M, Taniguchi Y, Yokoyama Y, Amano H, Ikeuchi T, Fujiwara Y, Shinkai S. A community-wide intervention trial for preventing and reducing frailty among older adults living in metropolitan areas: Design and baseline survey for a study integrating participatory action research with a cluster trial. J Epidemiol. 29(2),73-81, 2019.
    https://doi.org/10.2188/jea.JE20170109
  20. Murayama Y, Yamazaki S, Yamaguchi J, Hasebe M, Fujiwara Y. Chronic stressors, stress coping, and depressive tendencies among the elderly. Geriatrics & Gerontology International, 20(4),297-303, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.13870
  21. Murayama Y, Murayama H, Hasebe M, Yamaguchi J, Fujiwara Y. The impact of intergenerational programs on social capital in Japan: a randomized population-based cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 19(156), 2019.
    https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6480-3
  22. Kobayashi E, Sugihara Y, Fukaya T, Liang J. Volunteering among Japanese older adults: How are hours of paid work and unpaid work for family associated with volunteer participation? Ageing and Society,　39(11), 2420-2442, 2019.
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X18000545