Abstract
Objective : This paper examines the effectiveness and significance of a program to encourage interaction among women in their 50s and 60s living in a new residential area. Methodology : The program was designed to raise awareness of proactive health promotion in community life, focusing on "daily mutual caring interaction," the core concept identified in a previous study as a typical factor for improving QOL among younger elderly women, and "daily mutual interest" and "empathic mutual understanding," two constructs of the interaction. Questionnaire surveys directly before and after, and 1, 6 and 12 months into the program were complemented by interviews directly after, and six months into the program, on attitudes toward interaction with community peers. Results and Discussion : Nineteen of the 24 participants, aged 59.47 on average (SD 4.98), responded to all questionnaire surveys. QOL perception showed a significant change after 6 to 12 months of the program in its psychosocial aspects, i.e. sense of happiness and social relationships, which may be attributed to the change of attitude toward daily life and interaction with community peers in the early months of the program. Participation in the program and voluntary group activities led to a proactive attitude looking 10 years ahead, as attested by friendship, attachment to neighbors and action based on a sense of mission as community members. Conclusion : The program proved to be effective at the individual, group and community levels, providing useful public health activities supporting the improvement and maintenance of QOL for middle-aged and elderly women.
