AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SHOPPING FREQUENCY AND ELDER'S DAILY LIFE FUNCTIONS IN RURAL AREAS

Abstract

 It is critical issue to promote the health of elderly in Japan. One of the effective approaches for the promotion is to develop the areas in which it is easy to access for shopping and provide the daily opportunity to go outside including shopping. Shopping is the activity not only to live but also to exercise the functions for health. Thus shopping is expected to contribute to diverse functional health. In addition, shopping is important opportunity especially in rural areas where the opportunity of the activities is restricted. In this study, we focus on shopping frequency of the elderly person and show that shopping related to specific daily life function using the data gathered in rural depopulated area. As a result, shopping frequency cor-relates with the functions such as homeboundness and fall prevention. It is suggested that maintaining shopping frequency may contribute to diverse aspect of well-being.