Factors related to preference for participation and degree of commitment in community activities among older adults in Japanese depopulated areas.

To address the rapid increase in the ageing population, Japan implemented the Long-Term Care Insurance System (LTCS) in 2000. Additionally, a community-based integrated community care system was released in 2012. The purpose of these policies was to help older people who need care or support to continue to live their preferred lifestyles in their own communities. According to this paradigm, older residents are themselves considered members of the community caregiving team and expected to participate in volunteer activities to help the neighbourhood. One such activity is social participation including community activities. Many factors influencing social participation have been found in previous literature. However, knowledge of specific factors about community activities is limited, even though these kinds of activities have attracted policy attention. Our study examined factors related to thoughts about community activities among people aged >40 years. We conducted random sampling in two depopulated areas in Japan and used an anonymous mail survey method. Our survey consisted of three parts: social demographics, health and life, and medical/long-term care. A total of 2,466 individuals participated in the study (response rate 52.2%), whose average age was 64.2 (SD = 10.3) and 46.5% (n = 1,146) were female. Items including talking with neighbours frequently (social demographics), higher self-rated health (health and life), the need for health consultations and the desire to take care of family members when they need help (medical/long-term care) were significantly related to both preference for participation and degree of commitment in community activities. To encourage participation in community activities among older citizens, we recommend interventions related to health literacy and family ties.