2024 Volume 45 Issue 4 Pages 327-337
This study examined the association between intention to consult a public consultation service (e.g., community general support centers and social welfare council) and community-level social capital (SC). We used questionnaire data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. Participants were functionally independent older people aged 65 years or older in 39 cities and towns throughout Japan. Using data for 124,014 individuals (572 elementary school districts), we conducted a multilevel logistic regression analysis. The results showed that even after adjusting for such factors as demographic characteristics and individual-level SC, older people living in districts where “social cohesion” of community-level SC is high were more likely to have the intention to consult a public consultation service. On the other hand, an association was also shown that older people living in districts with higher “reciprocity” of community-level SC were less likely to intend to consult a public counseling service. The association between intention to consult and community-level SC were different depending on the SC index.
