2025 Volume 4 Issue 2 Pages 79-87
Objective: We investigated the association between public bath use and social capital (SC) in community-dwelling older adults, and the potential of public baths as community gathering places that contribute to preventive care.
Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted on the usage frequency, purpose, SC, and health status of older adults who used public baths in Nishinari Ward, Osaka City. We compared health-related variables by frequency of use and analyzed the relationship between public bath use and SC.
Results: Our results showed that the group with a high frequency of public bath use had significantly greater trust in community and interaction with neighbors (p<0.05), and total SC score than the low-frequency group (p<0.01). Logistic regression analysis revealed significant positive associations between the frequency of public bath use and trust in the community (odds ratio [OR] 4.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.57-15.83, p<0.01) or interactions with neighbors (OR 3.4, 95%CI 1.37-8.42, p<0.01), independently.
Conclusion: A frequent use of public baths could positively impact fostering SC. Public baths may play a role as community gatherings that contribute to preventive care.
