Department of Health Education and Health Sociology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Department of Health and Social Behavior, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2019 Dec;19(12):1268-1274. doi: 10.1111/ggi.13798. Epub 2019 Nov 22.
A rotating savings and credit association - an informal local microfinance group - provides community-dwelling older adults with cohesive social capital. This study examined whether participation in mujin, a traditional Japanese rotating savings and credit association, affected the maintenance of higher-level functional capacity in older adults.
We studied 10 991 older adults living in 24 municipalities in Japan who were aged ≥65 years, and physically and cognitively independent. We carried out a baseline survey in 2013 and a follow-up survey in 2016. Higher-level functional capacity, consisting of instrumental activities of daily living, intellectual activity and social role, was assessed using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence. To address potential reverse causation, we used stabilized inverse probability weights to balance characteristics at baseline between mujin participants and non-participants.
In our analytic sample, 406 out of 10 991 older adults (3.7%) participated in mujin at the baseline. Our weighted logistic regression showed that mujin participants were more likely to maintain higher-level functional capacity (i.e. full marks in the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence) 3 years later compared with non-participants (odds ratio 1.75, 95% confidence interval 1.29-2.39). Furthermore, independent social role functioning and intellectual activity were associated with participation in mujin for an equal number of both sexes, as well as people of high social standing.
The present study suggests that rotating savings and credit associations can help older adults maintain their independence in a higher-level functional capacity. Furthermore, the members' diversity might add to these beneficial effects. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 1268-1274.
互助储蓄信贷协会——一种非正式的本地小额信贷团体——为社区居住的老年人提供凝聚力强的社会资本。本研究旨在探讨参与互助储蓄信贷协会（mujin）是否会影响老年人维持更高水平的功能能力。
我们研究了居住在日本 24 个市町村的 10991 名 65 岁及以上、身体和认知功能独立的老年人。我们在 2013 年进行了基线调查，并在 2016 年进行了随访调查。更高水平的功能能力包括日常生活活动的工具性活动、智力活动和社会角色，使用东京都立老人研究所能力指数进行评估。为了解决潜在的反向因果关系，我们使用稳定的逆概率权重来平衡基线时 mujin 参与者和非参与者的特征。
在我们的分析样本中，10991 名老年人中有 406 名（3.7%）在基线时参加了 mujin。我们的加权逻辑回归显示，与非参与者相比，mujin 参与者 3 年后更有可能维持更高水平的功能能力（即东京都立老人研究所能力指数得满分）（优势比 1.75，95%置信区间 1.29-2.39）。此外，独立的社会角色功能和智力活动与同等数量的男女以及社会地位较高的人参与 mujin 有关。
本研究表明，互助储蓄信贷协会可以帮助老年人维持更高水平的功能独立性。此外，成员的多样性可能会增加这些有益的影响。老年医学与老年病学国际 2019；19：1268-1274。
