This study seeks to replicate and extend research on the stress process by examining the relationships among stress, social support, physical exercise, and depressive symptoms with data provided by a recent nationwide survey of older adults in Japan. The findings reveal that more frequent physical exercise is associated with less psychological distress. Moreover, the data suggest that some (but not all) types of stressors tend to diminish the frequency of physical activity. Finally, and perhaps most important, the results reveal that social support tends to promote more frequent exercise. This can occur in two ways. First, more emotional support was related to better exercise habits. In addition, negative interaction was also associated with more frequent exercise, suggesting that informal social sanctions can foster positive health behaviors.
This study involves an American-Japanese comparison of the factorial structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center (PGC) Morale Scale. A model containing 11 of the original PGC Morale Scale items was found to fit both the American and Japanese data adequately. Factorial invariance was analyzed by testing a series of nested hypotheses involving various equivalence constraints. No major differences were found in the 11-item PGC Morale Scale between the American and Japanese data sets.
This study involves a further replication of cross-cultural comparison of the structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS). Using Japanese and American data sets, the present research replicates and extends the findings reported by Liang et al. (1987). In particular, the earlier findings that four PGCMS items behave differently in two cultures are replicated. The present study yields two additional observations. First, the invariance in the PGCMS can now be extended beyond the urban elderly residents studied by Liang et al. (1987) to the entire aged population in the U.S. and Japan. Second, this comparability is robust despite the elimination of correlated measurement errors from the earlier specifications and when several exogenous variables are controlled. Further, the impact of selected demographic variables on the PGCMS was evaluated. In addition, qualitative data from in-depth interviews provide further insights concerning the cultural differences in the expression of well-being.
The paper identifies several specific factors related to health in old age which in Japan appear to be different from other developed countries. These factors are explored in the context of Japanese culture and social change. In the context of the high Japanese level of longevity, the paper presents data on life span and improvements of average life expectancy and the major causes of death among middle-aged and older persons, emphasizing international comparisons and traditional culture. Attention is drawn to the high proportion of bedfast elderly people and the effects of filial piety. Differences in the prevalence of dementia and suicide in old age are also discussed.
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