RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIRD PLACES AND NEEDING LONG-TERM CARE OF THE LATE ELDERLY IN THE SUBURB

In Japan, late elderly (≥75 years old) individuals tend to difficulty forming social groups due to declining physical function and health. Previous studies have shown that people who have a third place (a communal location outside the home that people can freely visit and spend time in) are significantly more outgoing and have more interpersonal conversation. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between the third place and the risk for long-term care/support in the late elderly. We conducted a questionnaire survey for 3 weeks from September to October 2016. Targets were late elderly in Takasu, Kitakyushu City. Survey contents included their utilization of third places, their neighborhood environment, and health status. A total of 629 questionnaires were distributed by mail, and 349 were correctly completed (valid response rate = 55.5%). A total of 58.6% of respondents were able to identify a third place, 75.6% of whom visit their third place more than once a week. Additionally, 35.7% of the participants gave responses to the Kaigo-Yobo Check List indicating a high risk of needing long-term care. Samples for analysis (n=153) excluded people with certification of long-term care/support need, those unable to leave the house, and those with missing data. Ordered Mann–Whitney U test showed that having a third place had a statistically significant positive association with frequency of going out (p