Patterns of social relationships among community-dwelling older adults in Japan: latent class analysis

Abstract

Background Social relationships may be the key to successful aging among older adults. However, little is known about the variability of social relationships among community-dwelling older people. This study aimed to describe the patterns of social relationships and examine the differences in sociodemographic characteristics and mental and physical health status among these patterns. Methods We obtained the data from a questionnaire survey in 2017 for older adults aged 65 and above who lived in a suburban area in Japan. The Index of Social Interaction (ISI) was used to evaluate social relationships. The final sample comprised 964 people who were independently mobile and answered at least one item of the ISI. To clarify the patterns of social relationships, latent class analysis was performed with five subscales of ISI treated as indicator variables. Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to examine the factors associated with the patterns of social relationships. Results The patterns of social relationships were classified into three classes: “Active” (73.6%), “Socially isolated” (14.7%), and “Less motivated” (11.7%). Persons who had depressive symptoms were more likely to be allocated to the “Socially isolated” (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.80, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.13–2.86) or the “Less motivated” groups (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.00–2.85) compared to the “Active” group. In addition, men (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.07–2.76) and those living alone (OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.43–6.61) were more likely to be allocated to the “Socially isolated” group. Moreover, those who were dependent, according to the instrumental activities and daily living functions, were more likely to be assigned to the “Socially isolated” (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.21–3.97) or “Less motivated” (OR 6.29, 95% CI 3.47–11.39) groups. Conclusion This study revealed the patterns of social relationships in older adults and suggested that there may be variations of social relationships among community dwellers. The results also indicated the necessity of assessing individual patterns of social relationships and devising strategies for each pattern in public health practice.

Patterns of Social Isolation and Low Social Support and Frailty Trajectories Among Chinese Older Adults

“…The difference may be attributed to cultural differences. Chinese older adults may rely on family support, enabling them to receive sufficient support from their spouse and children even in the presence of limited social networks (Miura et al, 2022; Sohn et al, 2017). In contrast, individualism emphasizing independence and personal responsibility may encourage older adults in European regions to go out for social participation and expand their social networks (Djundeva et al, 2019; Feng et al, 2020; Yang and Victor, 2008; Yang et al, 2020).…”

Poor Social Functioning: A Potentially Modifiable Risk Factor for Pneumonia in the Elderly

“…A recent study classified elderly people in Japan into one of the following three groups: “Active,” “Socially isolated,” or “Less motivated,” and found that men were more likely to be in the “Socially isolated” group. People in that group had the lowest probability of interacting with others, limited social participation, and a reduced sense of safety [ 25 ]. Thus, older men in Japan have relatively poor social relationships, which appears to put them at a greater risk of CAP incidence.…”

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“…Alternatively, the author revealed that older male adults postpone changing or rearranging their way of living when the community in which they are involved becomes small, which indicates that their strategy is poorer than those of women. In fact, previous studies in Japan reported that older male adults tend to be easily isolated than older female adults [11,12]. Based on this notion, gender gaps may exist in the strategies for maintaining interaction with other people.…”