The study examined the relationship between the five-factor model of personality and higher-level competence decline among community-dwelling older adults using a five-year prospective cohort study design. A data set of 283 men and 433 women aged 65 years and over at the baseline (mean age ＝ 71.9±4.9 yr) was used. The three subscales of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence (including Instrumental Self-Maintenance, Intellectual Activity, and Social Role) were used to measure higher-level competence decline as dependent variables. The NEO five-factor inventory was administered to assess the “Big Five” personality traits as independent variables : neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Multiple logistic regression demonstrated an inverse association of extraversion with decline in instrumental self-maintenance and decline in social role, an inverse association of openness with decline in intellectual activity and decline in social role, and an inverse association of conscientiousness with decline in instrumental self-maintenance. Our results suggest that older individuals with high extraversion are likely to maintain instrumental self-maintenance and a social role, and older individuals with high openness are likely to maintain their intellectual activity and social role, and older individuals with high conscientiousness are likely to retain instrumental self-maintenance.

  This study examined the parent-child relationship and level of filial responsibility. The participants were 83 married people (37 males and 46 females, average age 40.9). The quality of parents-child relationship has not been influenced by sex, and number of siblings. The relation of parents-in-law was related with filial responsibility to parents-in-law. The filial responsibility to own parents was related with the number of siblings and distance of house to house. General filial responsibility was related with parents-child relationship with own parents.

  The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the trajectory of living alone and social isolation of the elderly. The subjects were 1,391 elderly (aged 65 and over) individuals living alone in Itabashi Ward of Tokyo who responded positively to an interview. In order to distinguish long-term isolation from short-term isolation, the frequency of contacts with intimate relationships between middle-age and the present were used. In addition, the trajectory of living alone by the elderly was classified into 5 types : shifted to a nuclear family, lived with parents-in-law, childless, early separation, unmarried, applying a cluster analysis concerning the timing when the elderly came to live separately: for example, spouse, children, or parents. The major findings were as follows: 1) in comparison with “shifted to a nuclear family” type, the other trajectories of living alone significantly affected the social isolation of the elderly, even after the effects of sex, age, education, income, and physical disabilities were controlled : 2) the odds ratio regarding these trajectories influencing the social isolation were significantly higher in long-term isolation than in short-term isolation ; 3) in these trajectories, the “unmarried” type and “childless” type indicated significantly higher ratios for social isolation of the elderly.

  In the current study, “The Ambivalent World” was defined as the psychological aspect of family caregivers, in that the caregivers have a positive appraisal on caregiving even in the severe situation of having to give midnight care. The aim was to focus on the essence, and describe this world from the caregiver’s view-point.

  Semi-structured interviews were carried out with caregivers, and a qualitative analysis was conducted from the view-point of phenomenological psychology.

  After clarifying caregiver’s transcripts into some meaningful units, the following themes emerged. They were “Acceptance of role norm and suspicion for care role”, and “Feeling of exhaustion at midnight and self-understanding”, “Resentment and sorrow toward the frail elderly”, “Wants for physical liberation and hope for voluntary work in society”, and “Feeling of relaxation, emptiness, and anxiety about leaving the elderly to care providers”.

  This result shows that caregivers’ ambivalence has been structured into these three bases as “Negotiation for achievement of role identity”, and “Practice of gratitude and thankfulness”, and “Hoping for life fulfillment”. Consequently, these bases could be reinterpreted as “Process of acquiring value through activities”.

  The present study aimed to elucidate the effects of a mini day-service, utilizing a community meeting hall, on the health and QOL of local elderly residents, by comparing four years of longitudinal data from continuing participants and nonparticipants.

  A questionnaire survey was conducted on elderly (aged≥75 years old) residents of Sanbongi Town, Miyagi Prefecture. All subjects completed a preliminary questionnaire in 2000 and a follow-up questionnaire in 2003 and analysis was performed on those who participated in a mini-day service at least 5 times a year between 2000 and 2003 (continuing participants, n ＝ 87) and those who did not attend even once a year (nonparticipants, n ＝ 90). The general linear model was used to assess the effect of continued participation on health and QOL indices. Continuing participants in the mini day-service demonstrated increased self-reported health status (p ＝ 0.017) and self-efficacy regarding activities of daily life (p ＝ 0.085), while nonparticipants showed a tendency toward decreasing scores in these items. However, the effect of the participation on the mini day-service was not confirmed for the maintenance or the improvement of physical functions.

  The present findings suggest that continued participation in a mini day-service utilizing a community meeting hall has a positive effect on the subjective health of local elderly residents.