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Exploring the Relationship between Social Support and Life Satisfaction among Rural Elderly in Japan

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Abstract

Previous studies conducted in Japan had revealed an association between social support and life satisfaction among the elderly and the importance of informal support. A plethora of formal social support had been established when the Japanese Government introduced the LTCI (Long-Term Care Instrument) system in 2000. This system enabled elderly people to receive health benefits both mental and physical. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social support and the life satisfaction of elderly people in Japan. The study involved using qualitative analysis on data drawn from recorded and transcribed semi-structured interviews involving five participants living in Town B in Japan. Utilising Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) enabled discovery of the past and present lived experiences of participants and also gave insights into their worlds. Three themes emerged from the research: gender difference, transition of role from carer to being cared for, and reciprocity. The research revealed the following key factors that determined social support: gender, past life, resources, physical condition (especially IADL), social role and perception of outcomes. Although the study elicited the key factors that strongly affected the elderly in Japan and the results conformed to previous studies, the research suggested that the perception of the elderly should be the central focus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Health Sciences, Gunma University, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8514, Japan

    Kaori Tsuji

  2. School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3TN, UK

    Hafiz T. A. Khan

  3. The Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, The University of Oxford, 66 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PR,, England, UK

    Hafiz T. A. Khan

Authors
  1. Kaori Tsuji
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  2. Hafiz T. A. Khan
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Correspondence to Kaori Tsuji or Hafiz T. A. Khan.

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Conflict of Interest

Kaori declares that she has no conflict of interest. Hafiz declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Ethical Treatment of Experimental Subjects (Animal and Human)

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of Middlesex University and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Proper approval was taken from Ethics Review Committee to conduct this study.

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Tsuji, K., Khan, H.T.A. Exploring the Relationship between Social Support and Life Satisfaction among Rural Elderly in Japan. Ageing Int 41, 414–426 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-016-9254-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-016-9254-6

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