Does social participation improve self-rated health in the older population? A quasi-experimental intervention study

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 94; pp. 83 - 90
• Main Authors: Ichida, Yukinobu, Hirai, Hiroshi, Kondo, Katsunori, Kawachi, Ichiro, Takeda, Tokunori, Endo, Hideki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2013; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ageing; Aging; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Causality; Citizens; Clinical outcomes; Community; Correlation analysis; Diagnostic Self Evaluation; Disabled Persons - statistics & numerical data; Disease prevention; Elderly; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health; Health behavior; Health care; Health promotion; Health Promotion - methods; Health Surveys; Humans; Instrumental variable; Intervention; Japan; Male; Medical sciences; Methodology (Data Collection); Miscellaneous; Older people; Participation; Program Evaluation; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Social capital; Social Participation; Social psychology; Asia; Japan; Intervention; Instrumental variable; Japan; Causality; Social participation; Community; Social capital; Human; Statistical analysis; Self evaluation; Health; Authorized capital; Experimental study; Statistical method; Improvement; Social medicine; Elderly; Age; Social aspect

Social participation has been linked to healthy aging and the maintenance of functional independence in older individuals. However, causality remains tenuous because of the strong possibility of reverse causation (healthy individuals selectively participate in social activities). We describe a quasi...