Relationship of living arrangement with the decline in functional capacity in elderly people by gender: a longitudinal observational study.
10.1186/s12199-020-00853-w
- Author:
Haruhiko IMAMURA
1
;
Eiko UCHIYAMA
2
;
Miki AKIYAMA
3
;
Ikuyo KANEKO
4
;
Toru TAKEBAYASHI
5
;
Yuji NISHIWAKI
6
Author Information
1. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Medicine, Toho University, 5-21-16 Omori-Nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8540, Japan. haruhiko.imamura@med.toho-u.ac.jp.
2. Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan.
3. Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan.
4. Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan.
5. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
6. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Medicine, Toho University, 5-21-16 Omori-Nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8540, Japan.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Elderly;
Functional capacity;
Living arrangement;
Longitudinal study;
Spouse of a child
- MeSH:
Activities of Daily Living;
Aged;
Aged, 80 and over;
Female;
Geriatric Assessment;
Humans;
Independent Living;
statistics & numerical data;
Japan;
Longitudinal Studies;
Male;
Self Report
- From:Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine
2020;25(1):15-15
- CountryJapan
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND:The living arrangement has been suggested as an important factor affecting health. Recent studies have also suggested that there was a risk among elderly persons who were not alone. This study examined whether the detailed living arrangement was associated with a future decline in functional capacity in the elderly, by gender, in a Japanese suburban city.
METHODS:A 3-year longitudinal questionnaire survey (baseline: 2011; follow-up: 2014) for aged 65 years or older was conducted in Kurihara city, Japan. Of the respondents in the baseline survey, we analyzed those who scored 13 points (a perfect score which indicates the highest functional capacity; n = 2627) on the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence at the baseline. The exposure was living arrangement at baseline, divided into five categories: "with spouse only," "living alone," "with child and his/her spouse," "with child without his/her spouse," and "with other family/person." The outcome was the decline in functional capacity at the follow-up survey (score decreased to 10 points or less from 13 points).
RESULTS:Of the 2627 analyzed population, 1199 (45.6%) were men. The incidence of the decline was 5.8% in men and 5.9% in women. Multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, educational attainment, and health behavior and condition revealed that in women, the odds ratio of the decline was higher in living with child and his/her spouse (2.41, 95% confidence interval; 1.10-5.28) referring to living with spouse only. When adjusting activities inside and outside the home such as housework additionally, the association was attenuated to marginal significance (2.25, 0.98-5.18). No statistical significance was observed in men.
CONCLUSIONS:These results suggested that living with child and spouse of a child was associated with the future decline in women's functional capacity.
