Protective and high-risk social activities associated with homebound status among older adults in rural Japan

• Published in: Preventive medicine reports Vol. 30; p. 102037
• Main Authors: Mizutani, Mayumi, Nishide, Ritsuko, Tanimura, Susumu, Hatashita, Hiroyo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Homebound; Japan; Protective factors; Risk factors; Rural health; Short Communication; Rural health; Aged; Homebound; Protective factors; Japan; Risk factors
• ISSN: 2211-3355; 2211-3355
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.102037

Becoming homebound can be devastating for older adults in rural communities. This study aimed to identify protective or high-risk social activities associated with homebound status among the rural young old (ages 65–74) and the oldest old (ages ≥ 75). We used data from a survey of older adults in a rural community of Japan in 2014. Questions covered sociodemographic characteristics, homebound status (i.e., going out less than once a week), physical and psychological status, and social activities. Using survey data, we conducted logistic regression analysis to identify protective and high-risk social activities associated with homebound status. Of the 1,564 participants, 51.0 % were the oldest old, and the mean age was 75.2 (±7.0) years. The prevalence of homebound status was 10.5 % total: 5.2 % among the young old and 15.7 % among the oldest old and highest among the female oldest old (19.4 %). The main protective social activity for the young and the oldest old was visiting friends’ houses (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 5.38, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.64–17.64 and AOR 3.49, 95 % CI 1.07–11.42, respectively). For the young old, specific high-risk social activities were advising family and friends (AOR 0.07, 95 % CI 0.01–0.62) and activities to support older adults (AOR 0.17, 95 % CI 0.03–0.84). For the oldest old, a protective social activity was participating in long-term care prevention programs (AOR 28.94, 95 % CI 1.90–441.63). To prevent rural older adults from becoming homebound, support should be provided according to protective and high-risk social activities for age groups, with particular attention to safe socialization amid the threat of COVID-19.