Correlations between Activity Level and Mental State in Elderly at Home: Comparison between Caredependent and Non-dependent Elderly Groups

Abstract

We conducted basic research on the activity level and mental state of mind in 63 elderly people living at home， of whom 37 required nursing care and 26 did not， in order to clarify correlations between activity level and their mental state， and identifY effective methods for promoting their health． lt was found that their activity level was significantly correlated with their mental state， except for “anger-hostility．” Particularly， the correlation with“vigor”was the strongest when estimated based on the correlation coefficient. Funhermore， a comparison of the caredependent elderly with the healthy elderly， with a marked difference in activity level observed between them， showed a better mental state in the healthy elderly. Spechically， a marked ditference was found for “vigor．” These findings indicate correlations between activirty level and the mental state in elderly living at home， and suggest that approaches enhancing “vigor” are needed for care-dependent elderly to lead a vigorous ure， and that once their “vigor” is enhanced， their activity level increases．