[ADL and actual life styles of all Japanese centenarians as determined by a visitation interview survey].

A visiting interview survey was performed on all centenarians living in Japan to investigate their Activities of Daily Life (ADL). 2,851 centenarians, 92.9% of all subjects completed the interview. They were divided into three groups, good ADL (almost independent in daily life), moderate ADL (almost independent in indoor life), and inferior ADL (bed fast) by the condition of ADL. Some factors of health conditions, family size, frequency of use of public welfare services, and life styles were compared among these three groups. Both the good and the moderate ADL groups accounted for about 20% each, and the inferior ADL group was about 60% of the subjects. The condition of ADL of men was better than that of women. The inferior ADL group showed a significantly higher percentage of chronic diseases. High ratios of cerebral vascular disease and dementia were seen in this group, and many had no teeth. While two thirds of all the centenarians lived at home, over 90% of the good ADL group lived at home. The mode of family size was three including the person oneself. An average of 21% of men and 27% of women used public health welfare services. However 40% of the centenarians in the inferior ADL group used those services. Men had better dietary habits for health than women. The good ADL group showed the most desirable dietary habits among the three groups and had the highest percentage of drinkers and smokers. Men practiced a greater number of ideal habits for longevity than women. Of the ADL groups, centenarians in the good ADL group had the highest percentage of ideal habits for longevity. The centenarians who maintained good ADL had the following characteristics: There were fewer people under medical treatment. They had maintained their own teeth. Almost all of them were living at their home with their family. They had continued good dietary habits and daily life for health and longevity. For the maintenance and improvement of ADL of centenarians, adequate social welfare support in a local area for centenarians and their family seemed to be vital in addition to health management and guidance of healthy life style of the aged.