Social cohesion and mortality: A survival analysis of older adults in Japan

S. Inoue, T. Yorifuji, S. Takao, H. Doi and I. Kawachi

American Journal of Public Health, 2013, vol. 103, issue 12, e60-e66

Abstract: Objectives. We examined the association between social cohesion and mortality in a sample of older adults in Japan. Methods. Data were derived from a cohort study of elderly individuals (65-84 years) in Shizuoka Prefecture; 14 001 participants were enrolled at baseline (1999) and followed up in 2002, 2006, and 2009. Among the 11 092 participants for whom we had complete data, 1427 had died during follow-up. We examined the association between social cohesion (assessed at both the community and individual levels) and subsequent mortality after control for baseline and timevarying covariates. We used clustered proportional hazard regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals (CIs). Results. After control for individual characteristics, individual perceptions of community cohesion were associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 0.78; 95% CI = 0.73, 0.84) as well as mortality from cardiovascular disease (HR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.67, 0.84), pulmonary disease (HR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.58, 0.75), and all other causes (HR = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.66, 0.89). However, no statistically significant relationship was found between community cohesion and mortality risk. Conclusions. Among the elderly in Japan, more positive individual perceptions of community cohesion are associated with reduced risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Keywords: aged; cause of death; confidence interval; epidemiology; female; friend; health status; human; Japan; male; mortality; proportional hazards model; social environment; survival; trends; very elderly; article; Japan; mortality, Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cause of Death; Confidence Intervals; Female; Friends; Health Status; Humans; Japan; Male; Mortality; Proportional Hazards Models; Social Environment; Survival Analysis, Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cause of Death; Confidence Intervals; Female; Friends; Health Status; Humans; Japan; Male; Mortality; Proportional Hazards Models; Social Environment; Survival Analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301311_5

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301311

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