These findings supported the importance of a joint assessment that takes into account the subdimensions of both positive and negative influences, as well as the sources of these influences, in order to understand the full range of ways in which social relationships can affect the physical activity of older adults.

The interpersonal relationships of older adults have long been recognized as important determinants for their physical activity involvement. To date, researchers in this field have tended to focus on positive social influences, such as social support. Furthermore, in most studies, operational definitions of social support have stressed the source of the support (e.g., family support and friend support) rather than the nature of the support provided by these groups and individuals. In order to clarify the social context of physical activity among older adults, more attention should be paid to exploring both positive and negative social influences on physical activity. The objectives of this paper were to consolidate current findings concerning social influences and physical activity among aging adults, and to identify major positive and negative social influences from the literature that are associated with physical activity and health-promoting behaviors among aging adults. The development of a more comprehensive and representative method of measuring social influences in physical activity settings is advocated.

The present study found that participants of the intervention expanded their neighborhood social network, but non-participants did not. This finding shows that community interventions using university resources could increase older adults' neighborhood social networks. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 462-469.

Ikigai, one of the indices of well-being, tends to decline with age because resources relating to ikigai decline. However, there are individual differences in this decline. This study tested for maintenance of ikigai among Japanese elderly, using a longitudinal study investigating the moderating role of social capital on the effects of changes in human capital on ikigai. We conducted a panel survey targeting 1,068 people (M age = 73.01 years) in 2013, and 686 people in 2017. The variables were ikigai, changes in human capital (self-rated financial status, physical health) and social capital (social networks, trust in others), educational level, and control variables. Multiple regression analyses revealed the interaction effects of changes in physical health and changes in social networks (strong ties, weak ties) on follow-up ikigai. Post hoc analyses indicated that declines in physical health predicted declines in ikigai among those whose social networks (strong ties and weak ties) had declined in the 4-year study, but these relationships were not significant among those whose social networks had increased. The results suggest that older adults can weaken the adverse effect of a decline in human capital on ikigai by maintaining or increasing social networks.

Three-year Effects of Neighborhood Social Network Intervention on Mental and Physical Health of Older AdultsObjectives: Although neighborhood is considered to be a crucial source of social network to promote health among older adults, current findings are mostly derived from observational study designs. This study examined whether participations in event-based community programs could increase neighborhood social network and whether such increase could lead to desirable changes in mental and physical health among older adults. Method: This study employed quasi-experimental design. A baseline questionnaire survey was sent to residents of Tsurukabuto community aged 60 years or more (n = 1769); 1,068 responded. Community events were implemented approximately once a month for three years. Then, a three-year follow-up survey questionnaire was sent to the respondents of the baseline survey. The total number of respondents in the latter survey was 662; of the total, 173 participated in the intervention. Strong and weak ties with neighbors, mental well-being (Ikigai-9), healthrelated quality of life (HRQOL), and instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) were measured in the surveys. Results: The path analysis revealed that intervention participation was significantly associated with changes in strong ties (standardized path coefficient = 0.12) and changes in strong ties were associated with those in Ikigai-9 scores (standardized path coefficient = 0.15). The total and indirect effects of intervention participation on Ikigai-9 scores were significant. Significant intervention effects were not observed for HRQOL and IADL scores. Conclusion: This study found that participation in our event-based intervention could indirectly and positively influence older adults' mental well-being through their strong ties with their neighbors.