Community Kyoshoku (eating together) - evaluating neighborhood activities effectiveness on healthy aging

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K21587
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Studies on the Super-Aging Society
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Kimura Yumi 大阪大学, 大学院人間科学研究科, 講師 (00637077)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 野瀬 光弘 京都大学, 東南アジア地域研究研究所, 連携研究員 (00568529) ; 笠原 順子 杏林大学, 保健学部, 講師 (40737540) ; 藤澤 道子 京都大学, 東南アジア地域研究研究所, 連携准教授 (00456782)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 孤食 / 共食 / 地域在住高齢者 / 介護予防

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to establish a communal meal program for older adults living in the community and to analyze its effectiveness. This project was started in FY2019, and preparations were underway in two regions in Japan to implement the communal meal program, but the spread of COVID- 19 infection made it difficult to implement the program.
Eating alone during the pandemic had a serious impact on the health of the elderly, thus, we continued to survey the health situation of the elderly in the community through mailed questionnaires. Furthermore, a "Smartphone Food Club" intervention using the LINE application was implemented, and qualitative and quantitative surveys showed that changes such as improved appetite and eating attitudes were also observed in the virtual sharing of food.

Free Research Field

フィールド栄養学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、現代の日本社会で減少している「地域における共食の場」の介護予防としての効用や可能性を探求したものである。地域における新たな介護予防モデルの可能性を示すという点で、社会的な貢献度の高い研究である。感染症の拡大によって、高齢者の孤立や孤食がより深刻な課題となり、共食の意義を多角的に再検討するうえでも本研究の調査（感染症拡大下での高齢者の食生活の実態、食の共有の状況、バーチャル共食の効果）は意義のあるものであったと考える。