Longitudinal Study on Effects of Shopping Environment on Activity and Health of Older People

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K09122
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Hygiene and public health
• Research Institution: University of Yamanashi
• Principal Investigator: HIRAI Hiroshi 山梨大学, 大学院総合研究部, 准教授 (20387749)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 買い物不便 / 高齢者 / 運転 / 曝露期間

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined the effects on regional factor on driving cessation and activity after driving cessation of older people. Driving cessation was more likely to occur in residents in urban area than residents in rural area. After driving cessation, frequency of going out of older people were low in rural area.
Subjects were divided into two groups according exposure period to shopping inconvenience. The rate of those who intake meat or fish less frequently and those who go out less frequently were higher in short exposed group than long exposed group.

Free Research Field

地域計画，社会疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

買い物利便性の高い地域では運転を停止しやすく，一方で利便性の低い地域では，運転を停止しにくい傾向がみられた．運転を停止することで生活がしにくくなり，活動性が低下してしまうことにもつながることが示された．曝露期間を考慮した分析からもわかるように，小売店の閉店などの買い物不便が起こってから時間が経ってしまうと，買い物不便と活動性の関連は見えにくくなる．これは，不便の影響により数年で活動性が低下し健康を喪失し調査対象から外れてしまうためであると考えられる．買い物不便が生じた際の早急な対処が重要であることが示唆される．