Functional disability among partners and community activity in elderly Japanese: The Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study

Introduction: This cross-sectional study aimed to determine association between partners’ functional disability and community activity in an elderly Japanese population. Methods: A baseline survey was conducted between December 1 st and December 15th, 2006 and included 6600 participants from whom we collected data regarding their participation in community activity and functional disability among their partners. We defined functional disability as receiving certification for long-term care insurance in Japan, and frequent community activity as engaging in community activity more than once a month. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for frequent community activity based on functional disability among partners. We also conducted additional analyses using three types of community activities (neighborhood associations; sports, exercise, or a hobby; and volunteering for nonprofit organizations) as outcomes. Results: Multivariate adjusted analysis showed that the OR (95% CI) for frequent community activity was 0.70 (0.54–0.89, P < 0.01) among those whose partners had functional disabilities, compared with those whose partners did not have functional disabilities. This finding remained true even for different types of community activities such as neighborhood activities, sports, exercises, hobbies, and volunteering for nonprofit organizations. Conclusion: In this cross-sectional study of an elderly Japanese population, participants whose partners had functional disabilities were less likely to participate in community activity. We conclude that enhancement of support systems is important to promote participation in community activity, not only for patients with disability but their partners as well.