CONTINUITY OF SOCIAL INTERACTION AND MORTALITY : EIGHT-YEAR POPULATION-BASED PROSPECTIVE STUDY FOR THE ELDERLY(Keynote lecture & Symposium)

Abstract

Objectives. This study was designed to clarify the relation between continuity of social interaction and eight-year-mortality in a group of elderly people. Methods. The participants were all 65 years or older living in farming communities near major urban centers in Japan (n=554). The contents of the questionnaire covered social interaction (using an "Index of Social Interaction" consisting of 18 items), health status, activities of daily living (ADL), age and gender. Results. A total of 84 subjects died within the eight year period after the baseline survey: 1) baseline age and ADL were related to the eight-year mortality; 2) continuity of social interaction was positively related to reduced mortality; 3) multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for baseline age, gender, physical function, health status, and ADL indicated that continuity of social interaction was related to reduced mortality. Discussion. These findings highlight the importance of continuing social interaction in successful aging.