Volunteer activities of reading picture books and cognitive function in older adults: A 10-year longitudinal study

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26330183
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cognitive science
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology
• Principal Investigator: SAKUMA Naoko 地方独立行政法人東京都健康長寿医療センター(東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所), 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 研究員 (70152163)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): FUJIWARA Yoshinori 地方独立行政法人東京都健康長寿医療センター, 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 研究部長 (50332367) ; ISHII Kanji 地方独立行政法人東京都健康長寿医療センター, 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 研究部長 (10231135) ; SUZUKI Hiroyuki 地方独立行政法人東京都健康長寿医療センター, 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 研究員 (90531418)
• Research Collaborator: OHGAMI Yuko ; NAKAYAMA Tomonori ; OHTSUKA Shino ; SAITO Yu ; OGAWA Susumu ; YASAWA Megumu ; KAWASAKI Ayaka
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 認知加齢 / 縦断研究 / 介入研究 / 高齢者 / 社会貢献 / 世代間交流 / ボランティア活動 / 絵本の読み聞かせ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study investigated the long-term effects of volunteer activities in "Research of Productivity by Intergenerational Sympathy (REPRINTS)" by comparing an intervention group and a no-contact control group. Main volunteer activities of the REPRINTS are to read picture books to children in a school setting. We conducted a follow-up study to understand the cognitive effects of the REPRINTS activity on the older volunteers. The participation rate in the 10th year was 28.2% in the intervention group and 46.5% in the control group. Significant differences between groups were found in a verbal fluency task (beginning with ‘ka’) and the immediate recall of the story-recall task. Our results suggest that long-term social activities in the REPRINTS might be useful to improve or maintain some aspects of cognitive functions in healthy older adults.

Free Research Field

心理学