Associations of physical activity in rural life with happiness and ikigai: a cross-sectional study

Keiko Kabasawa (), Junta Tanaka, Yumi Ito, Kinya Yoshida, Kaori Kitamura, Shoichiro Tsugane, Kazutoshi Nakamura and Ichiei Narita
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Keiko Kabasawa: Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
Junta Tanaka: Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
Yumi Ito: Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
Kinya Yoshida: Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
Kaori Kitamura: Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
Shoichiro Tsugane: National Cancer Center
Kazutoshi Nakamura: Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
Ichiei Narita: Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences

Palgrave Communications, 2021, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Physical activity is associated with subjective well-being. In rural communities, however, physical activity may be affected by environmental factors (e.g., nature and socioecological factors). We examined the association of two physical activities in rural life (farming activity and snow removal) with subjective well-being in terms of happiness and ikigai (a Japanese word meaning purpose in life). In this cross-sectional study, we analysed data collected from community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 40 years in the 2012–2014 survey of the Uonuma cohort study, Niigata, Japan. Happiness (n = 31,848) and ikigai (n = 31,785) were evaluated with respect to farming activity from May through November and snow removal from December through April by using an ordinal logistic regression model with adjustments for potential confounders. The analyses were conducted in 2019. Among the participants who reported some farming or snow-removal time, median farming and snow-removal time (minutes per day) was 90.0 and 64.3 for men and 85.7 and 51.4 for women, respectively. Ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that longer time farming was associated with greater happiness and ikigai in men (adjusted odds ratio for first vs. fourth quartile: happiness = 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01, 1.35; ikigai = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.10, 1.50), and also in women (adjusted odds ratio for first vs. fourth quartile: happiness = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.001, 1.36; ikigai = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.20, 1.67). More snow-removal time was inversely associated with happiness and with ikigai in women only (adjusted odds ratio for first vs. fourth quartile: happiness = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.67, 0.85; ikigai = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.69, 0.88). Our findings showed that physical activity in rural life was associated with happiness and with ikigai, and gender differences were observed in their associations with more snow-removal time. These results may be useful in helping to identify people in rural communities who are vulnerable in terms of psychological well-being.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-021-00723-y

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