Social isolation has been identified to negatively impact older adults’ health. This risk is particularly high among those living in rural communities who ave to geographically isolated. Therefore, implementing specific preventive and supportive measures in such areas is important. This study aimed to identify factors related to the formation of social isolation among older adults living in rural communities. The study was conducted at A Village, in Miyazaki Prefecture, in the Kyushu region in Japan. This qualitative study was based on ethnographic methods, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven welfare officers and participant observation. Data analysis followed Spradley’s step-by-step research procedure. As a result, factors leading to and preventing social isolation were extracted related to the formation of social isolation. Extracted factors leading to social isolation were “population aging and depopulation,” “negative aspects of the strength of local ties,” and “men’s life course.” The six factors preventing social isolation were categorized into social and individual levels. Those findings suggest that interventions to prevent social isolation among older adults in rural communities should involve health, medical care, and welfare professionals who understand the characteristics of the local community, while focusing on both individual and community levels.
