Journal of Community & Public Health Nursing
Open Access

Abstract

Introduction: A rapidly aging population is a serious concern in Japan. In particular people aged 65 and over constituted 27.3% of the population in 2016 and the number of households of older adults living alone was 6 million in 2015. These figures have led to several social problems such as Social Isolation (SI) particularly in urban areas. And there are other social problems such as growing rate of single people and declining rate of birth in middle age and adolescence. Aim: The purpose of this study is to clarify prevalence of SI and factors related to SI of both middle-aged and old-aged citizens resided in an urban area with a super-aging rate. Methods: Questionnaire survey was conducted in Awata Elementary School District in January, 2018. This area is located in ward Higashiyama, where proportion of elderly is 33.5% and highest in Kyoto city. The response rate is 21.1% (427/2,015). We used Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS) to measure SI (LSNS<12). Univariate analysis was performed to examine factors related to SI in both middle aged and old aged. Results: Prevalence’s of SI were 30.0% in middle age and 36.3% in old age. In middle age men had a higher proportion of SI than women and unmarried people had a higher proportion of SI than married people. SI people had worse lifestyle, excessive drinking habit and depression than non-SI people. In old age men had a higher proportion of SI than women and SI people had worse lifestyle, excessive drinking habit and lower life satisfaction, depression, loneliness and lower sense of community than non-SI people. Conclusion: This study showed high prevalence’s of both middle and old aged residents in an urban district. For prevention in middle aged people, promoting good health practice and mental health may be important, but in old aged people not only good health practice and mental health but also sense of community is recommended.

Biography

Toshiki Katsura is currently working as a professor at Kyoto University, Japan

E-mail: tkatsura@hs.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp