Factors related to social isolation in a super-aging district of Kyoto city, Japan-differences between middle ages and old ages

48^th Global Nursing & Healthcare Conference

March 04-06, 2019 | Barcelona, Spain

Toshiki Katsura, Akiko Hoshino and Ayako Okutsu

Kyoto University, Japan
Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan
Kansai University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Japan

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

Introduction: A rapidly aging population is a serious concern in Japan. In particular people aged 65 and over constituted 28.1% of the population in 2018 and the number of households of older adults living alone were 6 million in 2015 and increasing. This figure has 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 in middle age and declining rate of birth in young age, Japan.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to clarify prevalence of SI and differences of factors related to SI between middle-aged and old-aged citizens resided in an urban area with a super-aging rate of Kyoto City, Japan. Methods: Questionnaire survey was conducted in Awata elementary school district in January, 2018. This area (Rate of aging is 34.6% in 2018) is located in ward Higashiyama, where rate of aging is 33.5% and the highest in Kyoto city. The response rate is 21.1% of families (427 families/2,015 families). 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 and old age irrespectively.

Results: Prevalence of SI was 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, such as excessive drinking, higher rate of depression, IS from friends than non-SI people. (Table 1) In old age men had a higher proportion of SI than women and SI people had worse lifestyle, such as leanness, no regular exercise and lower life satisfaction, higher rate of depression or loneliness and lower sense of community than non- SI people.

Discussion: This study showed high prevalence of both middle and old aged residents in an urban district. Preventive activities for health promotion in middle aged people, are to promote good health practices and mental health, but in old aged people are recommended to promote not only good health practices and mental health but also sense of community.