Relationship between ikigai and physical, social frailty in community-dwelling older females.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between ikigai and physical, social frailty in community-dwelling older females.

Methods: Sixty-six community-dwelling older females were included in the study. The revised J-CHS criteria were used to determine physical frailty. Makizako’s index was used to determine social frailty. Ikigai was assessed using the Ikigai-9 scale and compared between the physically robust and physical frailty group, and between the socially robust, social prefrailty, and social frailty group.

Results: The social frailty group had significantly lower Ikigai-9 scores than the social robust group (p < 0.05). On the other hand, no significant differences were found between the social prefrailty group and the socially robust and social frailty group. Also, there’s no difference on the Ikigai-9 between the physically robust group and the physical frailty group.

Conclusions: Ikigai was associated with social frailty. On the other hand, Ikigai was not related to physical frailty.