Social Capital and Mortality in Older Japanese
Author Information
Author(s): Aida Jun, Kondo Katsunori, Hirai Hiroshi, Subramanian S V, Murata Chiyoe, Kondo Naoki, Ichida Yukinobu, Shirai Kokoro, Osaka Ken
Primary Institution: Nihon Fukushi University
Hypothesis
The study aimed to examine the relationships between various forms of individual social capital and all-cause mortality in Japan.
Conclusion
Friendship network was a good predictor for all-cause mortality among older Japanese, while mistrust was associated with lower mortality among women.
Supporting Evidence
- Lower friendship network was significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality among men.
- Having no friends was significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality among women.
- Lower general trust was related to lower mortality among women.
Takeaway
Having friends and social connections can help older people live longer, but for women in Japan, not trusting others might actually be a good thing.
Methodology
The study used self-administered questionnaires and analyzed mortality data from 14,668 respondents over a follow-up period of 4.29 years.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from latent fatal diseases and the exclusion of individuals with disabilities may have affected the results.
Limitations
The response rate was 50.4%, which may have led to selection bias, and the follow-up period was relatively short.
Participant Demographics
Participants were community-dwelling individuals aged 65 years or older from six municipalities in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95%CI = 1.10-1.53 for men; 95%CI = 1.02-3.23 for women
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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