【目的】本研究の目的は山間地域で主体的に運営する産業に従事している高齢者の保健行動を明らかにすることである.
【方法】対象者:産業に従事している高齢者(以下A 群)84人と従事していない高齢者(以下B群)81人である.データ収集方法:集合法で自記式アンケート調査を行った.期間:2009年5月から9月に行った.調査項目:基本情報・生きがい・生活習慣・生活活動能力・疲労蓄積度(厚生労働省)で構成し,52項目を設定し選択式回答とした.分析:回答者のうち,65歳未満を除いた144人(87.3%)について分析を行った.A群とB群の保健行動について,生きがい,生活習慣,生活活動能力に関する質問項目を記述集計およびクロス集計によって統計学的に分析した.倫理的配慮:所属機関の臨床研究倫理審査委員会の審査を受けた.
【結果】A 群はB群に比べて高齢者の集まりに入会している人の割合が有意に少なく(p<0.01),活動している人の割合も有意に(p<0.01)少なかった.A群の方がB群に比べて現病歴のある人の割合が少ない傾向(p=0.054)が認められた.生活に対する意識について,「不満」「非常に不満」と回答したのは,A群に多く,両群間に有意な差(p<0.01)が認められた.疲労蓄積度の自覚症状の平均値は,A群では8.8±5.7点,B群は6.1±4.8点であった.A群では,疲労の自覚症状が39点中11~20点であったのは17人(29.7%),それ以上は2人(3.4%)であったのに比べ,B群では前者が16人(22.2%),後者はおらず有意な差(p<0.05)があった.
【考察】A群は疲労蓄積度が高く,高齢者の集まりに参加している人が少なかったことから,A群は余暇活動をする時間がないほどに仕事に力を注いでいると考えられた.それにもかかわらずA群は現病歴のある人の割合が少なく,主体的な産業に従事できる程の健康状態を維持していることが示唆された.【Aim】This study aims to clarify the health behavior of the elderly who were managing profit-earning works in mountainous areas.
【Methods】The elderly aged more than 65 year-old in the areas in T Prefecture were targeted. The elderly who were managing profit-earning works named Group A, and the elderly who were not named Group B. A questionnaire was conducted to the participants at local regular meetings from May to September, 2009. The questionnaire consisted in five sections, such as, living habits, abilities of daily activities and the degree of fatigue accumulation14). The data was analyzed a comparison between two groups. This study was reviewed by the clinical ethic board of the institution to which the authors belong.
【Results】The total of 144 participants were analyzed. The number of Group A was 63, and Group B was 81. There was a significant difference in average age between two groups. Regarding abilities daily activities, the admission of a public meeting for elderly of Group A in the areas was significantly lower than that of Group B. Group A was significantly lower the rate of present illness than that of Group B. Regarding fatigue accumulation, the difference between Group A and Group B were significant(p=0.031).
【Discussion】Group A seemed to favor their own profit-earning activities more than the admission of the activities for the elderly by public. Group A, however, felt more being fatigue than that of Group B. In addition, Group A seemed to have less present illness than Group B.
Group A seemed to maintain their health and their work and life balance. Therefore, we considered to clarify that health behavior that consisted in the five sections was well maintained by the elderly who manage profit-earning activities