Research and Development of Toy Design for Elderly Welfare and Sick Child Care

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K18141
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 90010:Design-related
• Research Institution: J. F. Oberlin University
• Principal Investigator: Hayashi Hideki 桜美林大学, 芸術文化学群, 准教授 (00783341)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 高齢者福祉 / 病児保育 / ヘルスケア / リハビリテーション / アクティビティトイ / 作業療法 / 在宅療養 / デザイン評価

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study focuses on the design of toys intended for healthcare purposes, which have recently been increasingly utilized in welfare settings. These toys, referred to as "activity toys" and "Asobi no Mushi," have been implemented in facilities such as caregiving welfare and pediatric care institutions. However, there are currently no specialized products, and children's toys are being used as substitutes. Given this situation, it is essential to enhance academic knowledge in anticipation of future demand. Therefore, a quantitative study was conducted to analyze their effectiveness and derive design requirements. The method involved selecting ten representative activity toys, evaluating them on seven criteria using a five-point scale, and employing statistical testing, multiple regression analysis, and rough set decision rule analysis to elucidate the design and efficacy of these toys, ultimately providing guidelines for new toy designs.

Free Research Field

デザイン学研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本は高齢社会の代表的な国で総人口に占める65歳以上の人口は約30％である。この数値は世界で最も高い水準で高齢者のヘルスケアは重要な社会課題である。本研究はこの問題に対し、玩具による健康維持活動を促進させることを目的とした。施設で活用される「アクティビティ・トイ」「あそびのむし」は有効性が曖昧であったため、利用者がその効果を実感できず科学的な根拠が必要であった。そこで玩具のヘルスケア効果を定量的に測定し有効性の検定等を行いその効果を明示した。これまで感覚的に良いとされてきた玩具によるヘルスケア効果が実証された意義は大きく、今後の高齢化社会にとって意義のある研究であると考えられる。