Community activities predict disability and mortality in community-dwelling older adults

With aging, it is important to maintain older community dwellers' regular engagement with familiar community activities (CA) engaged in close to home to protect them from frailty. Thus, the present study aimed to examine whether CA items or CA score were associated with mortality or the need for care under the new long-term care insurance service requirements over 3 years among community-dwelling older Japanese adults.

We analyzed cohort data for older adults from a prospective cohort study in Kami town, Japan. The response rate to the self-reported questionnaire was 94.3% (n = 5094), and we followed these participants for 3 years. Our final sample comprised 5076 older adults. Missing data were filled in using multiple imputation. We used seven items to assess CA: (i) volunteer activity; (ii) regional activity related to the neighborhood; (iii) visiting friends; (iv) hobbies or favorite lessons; (v) earning an income; (vi) farm work and growing vegetables; and (vii) shopping daily by oneself. The Kihon Checklist and new long-term care insurance service certifications were used as the frailty screening and disability indices, respectively.

During the follow-up survey, 705 participants obtained new long-term care insurance service certifications and 262 died. Using the receiver operating characteristic curve, the desirable cut-off of the CA score to predict disability and mortality was at least two items for all elderly age groups in rural areas.

CA items and CA score could predict disability and mortality in community-dwelling older adults in Japanese rural areas. Therefore, it is recommended that older adults from all age groups participate in CA. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1114-1124.