Transitions in living arrangements among elders in Japan: does health make a difference?

OBJECTIVE

This research evaluates the hypothesis that poor health triggers a change in living arrangements among elderly adults in Japan.

METHODS

Data came from a national probability sample of 2,200 Japanese people aged 60 or older. Four surveys of this sample were conducted over a period of 9 years, from 1987 to 1996. Multinomial logit regression analyses were used to analyze the effects of demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, and health on changes in living arrangements.

RESULTS

Living arrangements among the Japanese elderly people remained quite stable over the 9-year period. Physical and mental health conditions were found to exert both direct and indirect effects on transitions in living arrangements.

DISCUSSION

Poor health does trigger changes in living arrangement. Both physical (i.e., chronic conditions and functional status) and mental (i.e., depressed affect) health conditions play a role in such transitions. Because health conditions are correlated with competing risks of mortality, attrition, and proxy interview, health effects on changes in living arrangement are likely underestimated.