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Relationship between Economic Security and Self-Rated Health in Elderly Japanese Residents Living Alone

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between economic security and self-rated health for elderly Japanese residents living alone.

Design

A secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study.

Setting

N City, H. Prefecture, Japan.

Participants

Survey questionnaires were distributed to 2,985 elderly residents living alone, aged ≥70 years, of which, 1,939 (65.0%) were returned and treated as valid responses.

Measurements

The survey included questions about gender, age, number of years spent in N City, self-rated health, economic security, number of years spent living alone, reason for living alone, life satisfaction, cooking frequency, frequency of seeing a doctor, long-term care service usage, as well as whether they enjoyed their lives, participated in social organizations.

Results

Of the respondents, 1,563 (80.6%) reported that they were economically secure, and 376 (19.4%) responded that they were insecure. The odds ratio predicting poor self-rated health for the economically insecure participants was significantly high (odds ratio: 3.19, 95%, Confidence Interval (CI): 2.53−4.02, and P < 0.001). Similarly, the adjusted odds ratio for poor self-rated health was significantly high for the economically insecure participants in multivariate analyses controlling for factors such as age, gender, cooking frequency, and social participation (adjusted odds ratio: 2.21, 95%, CI: 1.70−2.88, and P < 0.001). Furthermore, a similar trend was observed in stratified analyses based on gender and age groups.

Conclusion

Economic security predicted self-rated health independently of confounders, including social participation and cooking frequency, among the elderly Japanese living alone in communities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dietary Life and Food Sciences, Junior College Division, Mukogawa Women’s University, Hyogo, Japan

    N. Otaki, N. Tanino & M. Akita

  2. Department of Food Sciences and Nutrition, School of Human Environmental Sciences, Mukogawa Women’s University, 6-46 Ikebiraki-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 663-8558, Japan

    M. Yokoro & Keisuke Fukuo

  3. Research Institute for Nutrition Sciences, Mukogawa Women’s University, Hyogo, Japan

    N. Otaki, N. Tanino, M. Yokoro, M. Yano, H. Uemura, M. Maeda & Keisuke Fukuo

  4. Nishinomiya Social Welfare Council, Nishinomiya, Japan

    H. Uemura

  5. Department of Psychology and Social Welfare, School of Letters, Mukogawa Women’s University, Hyogo, Japan

    M. Maeda

Authors
  1. N. Otaki
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  2. N. Tanino
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  3. M. Yokoro
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  4. M. Yano
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  5. M. Akita
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  6. H. Uemura
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  7. M. Maeda
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  8. Keisuke Fukuo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Keisuke Fukuo.

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Otaki, N., Tanino, N., Yokoro, M. et al. Relationship between Economic Security and Self-Rated Health in Elderly Japanese Residents Living Alone. J Nutr Health Aging 22, 695–699 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-017-0994-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-017-0994-0

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