Abstract
The objective of this study was to identify the strengths of elderly individuals who maintain healthy lives in genkai shūraku (rural villages experiencing depopulation and aging, placing them at risk of disappearance) located in mountainous and hilly regions of Japan. A total of 28 documents were selected for analysis. The data were abstracted and systematically categorized using the conceptual framework of Rapp’s Strengths Model. The analysis yielded 14 categories derived from 38 subcategories. These categories were classified according to the Strengths Model. In the domain of individual strengths, two categories were aligned with “Aspirations”, four categories with “Capacity”, and two categories with “Confidence”. In the domain of environmental strengths, two categories corresponded to “Resources”, two categories to “Social Relations”, and two categories to “Opportunities”. This study highlighted the dynamic interaction between individual strengths and environmental strengths among elderly residents of genkai shūraku. In addition, it identified unique strengths specific to healthy elderly individuals living within these marginal communities. The findings suggest that assessing and supporting the strengths of elderly individuals in genkai shūraku through public health nursing practice and related support activities will be increasingly important for sustaining these communities in the future.
