Publications by authors named "Masataka Kuraoka"
Article Synopsis
- In 2019, Japan's Ministry of Health highlighted the need for "Kayoi-no-ba" initiatives, but did not offer specific guidance or evaluation methods for local governments to implement these initiatives effectively.
- Researchers created a framework called "ACT-RECIPE," consisting of six evaluation phases: understanding needs, assessing current status, building teams, implementing initiatives, evaluating results, and making adjustments.
- The final framework was tested in 50 municipalities in Tokyo to score the effectiveness of their "Kayoi-no-ba" initiatives and analyze their correlation with the number of such initiatives available per 1,000 older residents.
Generativity is defined as an individual's concern for and actions dedicated toward the well-being of others, especially youth and subsequent generations. It is a key stage of psychological development from midlife to older age and can be a guiding concept for promoting engagement of older adults in productive and contributive activities, which benefit their well-being. This study examined the longitudinal association between generativity and higher-level functional capacity (HLFC) decline in older Japanese adults.
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- The study explores how increasing intergenerational contact in urban communities can enhance social capital, particularly focusing on adults aged 25-84 years in Kawasaki, Japan.
- Using a non-randomized controlled trial, researchers compared an intervention group (with intergenerational initiatives) to a control group (standard public health services) over three years.
- Results from surveys indicated that the intervention group experienced improvements in social trust, reciprocity norms, and social support, highlighting the potential benefits of fostering connections across generations for community health.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on "Kayoi-no-ba" (places to go) that encourage older adults to participate in voluntary groups aimed at delaying the need for long-term care by promoting engagement and activities.
- Researchers evaluated 175 groups across Tokyo, assessing them based on participant diversity (age, gender, health) and community autonomy (management roles of residents).
- The groups were categorized into four types: "Physical Exercises," "Multi-purpose," "Social Interaction Oriented," and "Non-Interaction," revealing that the Multi-purpose group had a wider age range and more residents involved in management.
This study aims to identify the independent influence of face-to-face contact (FFC) and non-face-to-face contact (NFFC) on the subsequent decline in self-rated health and mental health status by age. A total of 12,000 participants were randomly selected among residents in the study area, and 1751 of them responded to both the 2016 and 2018 mail surveys. The participants were subsequently classified into three age groups (25-49: Young adults; 50-64: Mid-aged adults; and 65-84: Older adults).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives Many local governments and elementary and junior high schools in Japan have conducted a "greeting campaign". This has been done in order to activate communication among local residents, and to instill public spirit and sociability in students' minds. However, few studies have explored the significance of greeting campaigns.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives This study aimed to examine the awareness of the term "frailty" and its correlates among older adults living in a Japanese metropolitan area.Methods We used baseline and 2-year follow-up data from a community-wide intervention on preventing frailty in Ota City, Tokyo. In July 2016, we conducted a self-administered questionnaire survey via mail to investigate the lifestyle and health status of 15,500 non-disabled residents aged 65-84 years from all 18 districts.
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- This study explored how interactions between different age groups (young adults aged 25-49 and older adults aged 65-84) relate to mental health, focusing on both intra-generational (same age group) and inter-generational (different age groups) exchanges.
- A total of 3,334 young adults and 3,116 older adults participated in a survey that assessed their mental well-being and types of social interactions.
- Findings revealed that a majority of young adults (61.5%) were mentally healthy, with varying levels of social exchange: 51.3% engaged in intra-generational, 21.9% in inter-generational, and 16.5% in multi-generational exchanges, while
Objectives Using the Community Child-Rearing Support Scale (CCRSS), which was developed for older adults, we examined 1) the reliability and validity of the scale for multiple generations, as well as the generational differences in the 2) degree and content of supportive behaviors for child rearing and 3) correlates of the behavior, in conjunction with gender differences.Methods A mail survey was conducted with residents aged 25-84 years who were randomly selected from two cities in Tokyo and the surrounding areas, and responses were obtained from 8918 residents (response rate: 33%). The respondents were grouped as follows: old-aged (65-84 years), middle-aged (50-64 years), and young-aged (25-49 years).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose Of The Study: This study aims to clarify the job seeking process of the elderly people through the local employment support facility known as the Active Senior Employment Support Center (ASESC)"AKUTIBU SINIA SHUGYO SIEN SENTAA" in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and evaluate the performance as a complement to the national support systems.
Methods: We conducted 6 waves of longitudinal mail surveys over 38 weeks to 235 older job seekers (146 males and 89 females, average age 63.7, SD 5.
Compelling evidence supporting the benefits of social engagement in older adults has been increasingly discussed. However, knowledge regarding an intergenerational program is limited. Herein, we provide a targeted review of intergenerational programs by focusing on our novel interventional program, Research on Productivity through Intergenerational Sympathy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: This study examined the possibility and necessity for expansion and diffusion of a new employment support facility for older job seekers in metropolitan areas based on health and welfare measures. This longitudinal study assessed questionnaire responses from older job seekers at a new facility established in Ota ward in the Tokyo metropolitan area as a compliment to the conventional system comprised of Hello Work and the Silver Human Resources Center.
Methods: We offered questionnaires to job seekers at their first facility visit and asked them to return them by mail (baseline survey).
Background: Non-pharmacological interventions are expected to be important strategies for reducing the age-adjusted prevalence of senile dementia, considering that complete medical treatment for cognitive decline has not yet been developed. From the viewpoint of long-term continuity of activity, it is necessary to develop various cognitive stimulating programs. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a cognitive intervention through a training program for picture book reading for community-dwelling older adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The objectives of this study were (1) to clarify changes in social concern in intergenerational programs and (2) to determine the current state of and issues affecting intergenerational programs.
Methods: Articles including the words "intergenerational programs" were selected from 3 major Japanese newspapers (Asahi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, and Mainichi Shimbun) using an online database (399 articles). Content analysis was conducted to check changes in the number and content of articles.