Sports Group Participation Research Articles

The Importance of Sports for Public Health

Sports have become an irreplaceable element in maintaining public health amidst today's modern challenges. In the sphere of increasingly busy lifestyles and unbalanced diets, the importance of exercise as a key pillar of public health is becoming increasingly relevant. This abstract summarizes the results of studies on the importance of exercise in maintaining public health from various perspectives. The main benefits of exercise for people's physical health include weight regulation, increased muscle and bone strength, and prevention of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Through regular physical activity, the risk of obesity and related health problems can be suppressed. In addition, exercise also helps improve the function of the respiratory and digestive systems, making it key to a more physically fit society. Aspects of mental health are also inevitable in this context. Exercise has been shown to have a positive impact on people's mental well-being by stimulating the release of endorphins, stress-reducing hormones, anxiety, and depression. In an increasingly complex society, exercise is becoming an effective solution for treating mental health and improving quality of life. Sport not only affects individuals personally but also has significant social implications. Through participation in sports groups or teams, social interaction can be enhanced, community bonds strengthened, and positive values such as cooperation and fair play are emphasized. This has an impact on building strong character and connecting with a more socially healthy society. However, sports promotion does not go without challenges. Busy modern lifestyles often reduce the time for exercise, and access to adequate sports facilities is not always evenly distributed in all walks of life. Therefore, the role of governments, educational institutions, and communities in promoting sports has become very important. In conclusion, exercise has a crucial role in maintaining overall public health. Through its impact on physical, mental, and social health, sport becomes an effective tool in caring for people's well-being. By strengthening the promotion and integration of sport in everyday life, we can shape a healthier, happier, and more empowered society.

Determinants of new participation in sports groups among community-dwelling older adults: Analysis of a prospective cohort from The Otassha Study.

Participation in sports groups has health benefits for older adults, such as preventing functional limitations and social isolation. Encouraging participation in sports groups may be an important means of health promotion in older adults. However, there is insufficient research on the determinants of new participation in sports groups to consider effective interventions to promote participation in these groups. We investigated this using data from a 1-year prospective study. Data were obtained from “The Otassha Study” that assessed a cohort of community-dwelling older adults living in an urban area of Japan. Of 769 older adults who participated in a baseline health survey in 2018, 557 participated in a follow-up survey in 2019. We excluded 184 individuals who already participated in sports groups at baseline and 36 with missing data. Participation in sports groups was defined as that occurring more than once a week. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the determinants of new participation in sports groups, with sociodemographic factors, lifestyle habits, physical functions, cognitive functions, psychological factors, and social factors as independent variables. Forty-one (12.2%) individuals participated in sports groups at follow-up. In the multiple adjusted logistic regression model, new participation in sports groups was significantly associated with female sex (odds ratio [OR] = 5.57, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.61‒19.26), engagement in regular exercise (OR = 2.23, 95%CI: 1.03‒4.84), and having a large social network (OR = 1.12, 95%CI: 1.04‒1.20). Physical functions were not associated with new participation. Determinants of new participation were lifestyle habits and social factors, rather than physical functions. Intervention through social networks may be effective in encouraging new participation in sports groups, which, in turn, may facilitate healthy aging.

Neighborhood effect of geographical distribution of urban facilities on older adults' participation in hobby and sports groups

Understanding the effect of neighborhood facilities on older adults' participation in hobbies and sports activities can provide solid evidence for effective health promotion policies. However, few studies have considered the relationship between the geographic accessibility of neighborhood facilities and their degree of spatial clustering with changes in group participation over time. This study examined whether the geographical distribution of neighborhood facilities—their geographic accessibility and degree of spatial clustering—can facilitate older adults' group participation. Longitudinal data of 20,151 older adults living in 339 elementary school districts were collected through the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. The findings within the Japanese context show that high geographic accessibility of neighborhood facilities and their spatially clustered patterns are related to an increase in group participation. Meanwhile, for older adults who have close ties with neighbors, an increase in sports group participation can be negatively impacted despite the great geographic accessibility to city parks. Spatially dispersed eating facilities are also related to good relationships with neighbors, facilitating participation in sports groups. Therefore, policymakers should carefully consider the various dynamics in the effect when discussing the choice of facility location to facilitate older adults' participation in hobbies and sports groups.

Types of Sports and Exercise Group Participation and Sociopsychological Health in Older Adults: A 3-Yr Longitudinal Study.

This study aimed to identify the association between a specific sports type and exercise group participation and longitudinal changes in sociopsychological health among community-dwelling older adults. Three years of data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study were used, comprising a total of 33,746 men and 36,799 women age ≥65 yr. To determine the relationship between 20 types of sports and exercise group participation in 2016 (baseline) and changes in depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15)), self-rated health (4-point scale), subjective well-being (11-point scale), and frequency of laughter (days per month) from 2016 to 2019, we performed linear regression analyses with conducting a multivariate adjustment for potential confounders using an inverse probability weighting method. The mean changes over 3 yr were +0.32 and +0.28 in GDS-15, -0.06 and -0.05 in self-rated health, -0.08 and -0.06 in subjective well-being, and -1.21 and -1.19 in frequency of laughter, in men and women, respectively. Men playing golf in a group were more likely to suppress an increase in the GDS-15 ( B = -0.11, 95% confidence interval, -0.18 to -0.05) and decreases in self-rated health (0.04, 0.02 to 0.06), subjective well-being (0.07, 0.02 to 0.12), and frequency of laughter (0.45, 0.11 to 0.80). Women participating in walking, weight exercises, and hiking groups were more likely to prevent an increase in the GDS-15 (-0.12, -0.19 to -0.04; -0.09, -0.18 to -0.01; and -0.16, -0.30 to -0.03, respectively) and decreases in self-rated health (0.03, 0.01 to 0.05; 0.03, 0.01 to 0.06; and 0.08, 0.04 to 0.12, respectively). Golf in older men and walking, weight exercises, and hiking in older women could be recommended as an effective program for promoting sociopsychological health among older adults in Japan.

Association between Increasing Social Capital and Decreasing Prevalence of Smoking at the Municipality Level: Repeated Cross-Sectional Study from the JAGES.

As smoking cessation is crucial for both individual and public health, this study aimed to elucidate the association between changes in social capital and in terms of smoking at the level of municipal units in Japan. Using repeated cross-sectional data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, we analyzed data from adults aged 65 years or older from 69 municipal units that participated in two survey waves. We received valid responses from 91,529 and 86,403 older people in 2013 and 2019, respectively, and aggregated all variables by municipal units. For the dependent variable, we used the units’ prevalence of smoking for both years. The independent variables were the percentages of social capital indicators, such as social participation, social cohesion, and reciprocity for each of the 69 municipal units. The mean prevalence of smoking increased from 9.7% in 2013 to 10.2% in 2019. Multiple regression analysis revealed that increases in the percentages of sports group participation, receiving emotional and instrumental social support, and reciprocity were significantly associated with decreased prevalence of smoking, after we adjusted for confounding variables. This study indicates that building social capital might be useful in promoting smoking cessation and that its indicators could be useful in monitoring efforts.

Internet use and subsequent health and well-being in older adults: An outcome-wide analysis

There is a growing, but inconclusive, evidence on the beneficial influence of the Internet on the health/well-being of older people. This study aims to examine outcomes-wide associations between frequency of internet use and subsequent health/well-being among older individuals. We used the three-wave data (2013, 2016, and 2019) from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. Our exposure was frequency of internet use (not at all/use a few times a month/use a few times a week/use almost every day) in 2016. We assessed 34 health/well-being outcomes in 2019 across six dimensions. Pre-exposure characteristics and prior outcome levels in 2013 were adjusted. We included 5879 respondents for 4 outcomes (death, dementia, and functional disability) and 4232 respondents for 30 other outcomes. Using the Internet almost every day (vs. not using at all) in 2016 was associated with some outcomes in 2019 in three dimensions: physical/cognitive health (better instrumental activities of daily living), social well-being (more frequent participation in sports groups, meeting friends more frequently, and seeing more friends within a month), and health behaviors (receiving health screening) (p < 0.05 for these associations after Bonferroni correction). It was not associated with any outcomes of three other dimensions: psychological distress, subjective well-being, or pro-social/altruistic behaviors.

Identifying the specific associations between participation in social activities and healthy lifestyle behaviours in older adults

ObjectivesTo examine the longitudinal association between participation in social activities and healthy lifestyle behaviours. Study designThis 2-year follow-up study used data from 6168 older adults (73.5 ± 5.3 years; 49% men). We studied participation in five types of social activities at baseline: participation in volunteer, sports, hobbies, senior clubs, and neighbourhood-association groups. Main outcome measuresThe healthy lifestyle behaviours were physical activity (time spent walking: ≥150 min/week; or less), eating habits (dietary variety score: ≥4 points; or less), and intellectual activity (subcomponents of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence: 4 points; or less). ResultsIn the follow-up survey, 19% of participants were physically inactive, 53% had unfavourable eating habits, and 34% had diminished intellectual activity. Multilevel modified Poisson regression analysis showed that participation in sports groups was associated with a lower relative risk (RR) of physical inactivity (RR=0.82 [0.72, 0.93]) and unfavourable eating habits (RR=0.95 [0.90, 1.00]). Participation in hobby groups reduced the RR of unfavourable eating habits (RR=0.93 [0.90, 0.97]) and diminished intellectual activity (RR=0.90 [0.85, 0.96]). Participation in volunteering was associated with a lower RR of diminished intellectual activity (RR=0.84 [0.75, 0.95]). Relative to non-participation, participating in two or more social activities was associated with a 9% (95% CI: 0.83, 1.00) lower RR for physical inactivity, a 12% (95% CI: 0.82, 0.95) lower RR for unfavourable eating habits, and a 17% (95% CI: 0.77, 0.89) lower RR for diminished intellectual activity. ConclusionsBoth the nature and the number of social activities determine the longitudinal effects of social participation on healthy lifestyle behaviours.

Impact of Different Type and Frequency of Social Participation on Depressive Symptoms Among Older Chinese Adults: Is There a Gender Difference?

Objectives: Social participation may prevent depressive symptoms in older adults. But research to date ignores gender differences in the associations between social participation and depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different type and frequency of social participation on depressive symptoms, as well as if there is a gender difference in these correlations among older Chinese adults.Methods: Data was obtained from adults aged 60 years or above in the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey, a nationally representative sample of older adults in China. Depressive symptoms were measured using CESD-10. Social participation included participation in social groups, hobby groups, sports groups, and community-related organizations. The independent relationships between each type of social participation and depressive symptoms were assessed using multiple linear regression models.Results: A total of 6,287 older adults were included in this analysis, of whom 49.69% were women. Participating in social groups, sports groups, and community-related organizations with a frequency of one or more per week was all linked to better mental health. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the positive relationship between participation in social groups, hobby groups, and community-related organizations and depressive symptoms is more flexible for older men than for women.Conclusions: Older individuals who participate in social participation at a high frequency may have better mental health. The findings provide novel insights into mental health from the standpoint of social participation in older adults. Gender differences in the associations between social participation and depressive symptoms need to be considered when formulating interventions to prevent depression.

Community-Level Sports Group Participation and Health Behaviors Among Older Non-Participants in a Sports Group: A Multilevel Cross-Sectional Study.

This study validates the relationship between community-level sports group participation and the frequency of leaving the house and transtheoretical model stages of behavior change for exercise among older individuals who did not participate in a sports group. We used cross-sectional data from the 2016 Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. The proportion of sports group participants at the community level was calculated using the data from 157,233 older individuals living in 1000 communities. We conducted a multilevel regression analysis to examine the relationship between the proportion of sports group participants and the frequency of leaving the house (1 day/week or less) and the transtheoretical model stages of behavior change for exercise. A statistically significant relationship was observed between a high prevalence of sports group participation and lower risk of homeboundness (odds ratio: 0.94) and high transtheoretical model stages (partial regression coefficient: 0.06) as estimated by 10 percentage points of participation proportion. Older individuals, even those not participating in a sports group, living in a community with a high prevalence of sports group participation are less likely to be homebound; they are highly interested and have numerous opportunities to engage in exercise.

Social Engagement and Sleep Quality among Older Adults in Rural China: Is There a Sex Difference?

ObjectivesSleep quality plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of older people and has become a major public health concern throughout the world. Social engagement, as a core component of “Active Ageing”, is one of the key determinants of health outcomes of older adults. This study estimated the relationship between social engagement and sleep quality among older adults living in rural China, and to determine whether there is a sex difference in these associations. DesignA cross-sectional design. Multilevel, multiple linear regression models were used to examine the independent associations between each type of social engagement and sleep quality. All standard errors were clustered at the community level. Setting and ParticipantsData were from 3243 adults age 60 years or older from rural areas in China. MethodsSleep quality was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Social engagement was measured by 3 types of social groups’ activity in this study, including participation in hobby groups, community-related organization, and sports groups. ResultsParticipating in hobby groups, community-related organization, and sports groups with high frequency are all associated with better sleep quality. In addition, the positive relation between participating in community-related organization and sleep quality is stronger for older male than female adults, and the positive association between participating in hobby groups/sports groups is stronger for older female than male adults. Conclusions and ImplicationsOlder adults with high-frequency of social engagement may have better sleep quality. This study offers new insight for the sleep quality from the perspective of social engagement among older people, implies that encouraging targeted social engagement in older people with different sex may be effective in promoting sleep quality in rural China.

Association between childhood socioeconomic position and sports group participation among Japanese older adults: A cross-sectional study from the JAGES 2010 survey.

Sports group participation may have greater effects on health outcomes than exercising alone. Unhealthy lifestyles were reported to be specifically associated with lower socioeconomic positions (SEPs), and child poverty and the bipolarization of sports participation are currently major policy concerns in children. However, it remains unclear whether childhood SEP has any long-latency effect on sports group participation among older Japanese. Data were obtained from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study 2010 project, which used self-report questionnaires to survey individuals aged ≥65years without disability from 27 municipalities (n=23,320). According to their answers, respondents were assigned to one of three SEP groups: high, middle, or low. Poisson regression with robust variance and multiple imputations was used to examine the association between childhood SEP and sports group participation. After adjusting for health-related factors, low childhood SEP was negatively associated with sports group participation in men (prevalence ratio [PR]=0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.74-0.91) and women (PR=0.88, 95% CI=0.80-0.97). The PR was greatly attenuated after adjusting for educational attainment in both men (PR=0.92, 95% CI=0.83-1.02) and women (PR=0.98, 95% CI=0.89-1.08), and the significant association disappeared. Low childhood SEP is thus associated with lower sports group participation among older Japanese, though this may be attenuated by education. These findings suggest that it may be necessary to consider childhood SEP and the importance of education to increase sports group participation at an older age.

日本人高齢者における定期的なスポーツグループへの参加に関連する要因―JAGES横断研究 PLoS Oneに掲載された英語論文の二次出版

日本人高齢者における定期的なスポーツグループへの参加に関連する要因―JAGES横断研究 PLoS Oneに掲載された英語論文の二次出版

Community-Level Sports Group Participation and the Risk of Cognitive Impairment

Community-level group participation is a structural aspect of social capital that may have a contextual influence on individual health. We investigated the contextual effect of community-level prevalence of sports group participation on the risk of cognitive impairment among older individuals. We analyzed prospective cohort data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, a nationwide survey of 40,308 functionally independent older individuals from 346 communities. Cognitive impairment was assessed by the nationally standardized dementia scale proposed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. Participation in a sports group 1 d per month or more frequently was defined as "participation." We applied a two-level multilevel survival analysis to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The cumulative incidence of cognitive impairment during the 6-yr follow-up period was 9.8%. The mean proportion of sports group participation was 25.2% (range, 0.0%-56.5%). Higher prevalence of community-level sports group participation was associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86-0.99, estimated by 10 percentage points of participation proportion) after adjusting for individual-level sports group participation, sex, age, disease, obesity, social isolation, alcohol, smoking, education, income, depression, daily walking time, population density, and sunlight hours. We found cross-level interaction between individual- and community-level sports group participation (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.76-0.99). We found a contextual preventive effect of community-level sports group participation on developing cognitive impairment among older individuals. Furthermore, the benefit may favor sports group participants. Therefore, promoting sports groups in a community setting may be effective as a population-based strategy for the prevention of dementia.

Change in Municipality-Level Health-Related Social Capital and Depressive Symptoms: Ecological and 5-Year Repeated Cross-Sectional Study from the JAGES.

Prevalence of depressive symptoms is lower in communities with greater social capital (SC). However, it is unclear whether a prevalence of depressive symptoms will decrease in communities where SC has increased. We investigated the relationship between the changes in municipality-level SC and depressive symptoms by using 5-year repeated cross-sectional data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. In 2010 and 2016, self-reported questionnaires were mailed to functionally independent residents aged 65 years or older living in 44 municipalities; valid responses were received from 72,718 and 84,211 people in 2010 and 2016, respectively. All scores were aggregated at the municipality level. The dependent variable was the change in the prevalence of depressive symptoms that were diagnosed with a 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Independent variables were the score of change in health-related SC indicators, e.g., social participation, social cohesion, and reciprocity. A multiple regression analysis was employed. The average prevalence of depressive symptoms decreased from 28.6% in 2010 to 21.3% in 2016. The increases in the percentages of sports group participation (B, −0.356), and reciprocity scores (B, −0.597) were significantly associated with the decrease in the prevalence of depressive symptoms after adjusting for potential confounding variables. Our findings suggest that community SC might be an intervention for protecting depressive symptoms in municipalities.

Community-level Sports Group Participation and Older Individuals' Depressive Symptoms.

ABSTRACTPurposeCommunity-level group participation is a structural aspect of social capital that may have a contextual influence on an individual’s health. Herein, we sought to investigate a contextual relationship between community-level prevalence of sports group participation and depressive symptoms in older individuals.MethodsWe used data from the 2010 Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, a population-based, cross-sectional study of individuals 65 yr or older without long-term care needs in Japan. Overall, 74,681 participants in 516 communities were analyzed. Depressive symptoms were diagnosed as a 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale score of ≥5. Participation in a sports group 1 d·month−1 or more often was defined as “participation.” For this study, we applied two-level multilevel Poisson regression analysis stratified by sex, calculated prevalence ratios (PR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI).ResultsOverall, 17,420 individuals (23.3%) had depressive symptoms, and 16,915 (22.6%) participated in a sports group. Higher prevalence of community-level sports group participation had a statistically significant relationship with a lower likelihood of depressive symptoms (male: PR, 0.89 (95% CI, 0.85–0.92); female: PR, 0.96 (95% CI, 0.92–0.99), estimated by 10% of participation proportion) after adjusting for individual-level sports group participation, age, diseases, family form, alcohol, smoking, education, equivalent income, and population density. We found statistically significant cross-level interaction terms in male participants only (PR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.77–0.95).ConclusionsWe found a contextual preventive relationship between community-level sports group participation and depressive symptoms in older individuals. Therefore, promoting sports groups in a community may be effective as a population-based strategy for the prevention of depression in older individuals. Furthermore, the benefit may favor male sports group participants.

Positive and negative influences of social participation on physical and mental health among community-dwelling elderly aged 65\u201370\xa0years: a cross-sectional study in Japan

BackgroundAlthough numerous investigations have indicated that social participation (SP) has positive effects on the health of older adults, there have been few studies on its negative health consequences. We examined the cross-sectional associations of the type, frequency, and autonomy for SP with physical and mental health.MethodsThe analytical subjects were 5126 males and 7006 females who were functionally independent, born between 1945 and 1949, and covered by A City’s medical insurance system. Physical and mental health were measured using the SF-8 Health Survey. SP was measured through six types of social groups. These social groups included volunteer groups, sports groups, hobby clubs, senior citizens’ clubs, neighborhood community associations, and cultural groups. Analysis of covariance was conducted to compare adjusted physical health component summary scores (PCS) and mental health component summary scores (MCS) by the frequency and autonomy of SP. Age, family size, body mass index, chronic conditions, smoking, alcohol intake, depression and cognitive functioning were included as covariates. To examine whether the associations between SP and PCS/MCS are different between genders, we performed analyses stratified by gender.ResultsOverall, positive associations of the frequency and autonomy of SP with PCS and MCS were stronger in females than males. As to frequency, frequent participation in sports groups and hobby clubs had significantly better PCS among both genders and better MCS among females than non-participation. None of the groups differed significantly in the MCS among males. As to autonomy, among both genders, voluntary participation in sports groups and hobby clubs had significantly better PCS than non-participation, and better MCS than not only non-participation, but also obligatory participation. Among females, obligatory participation in all groups had significantly poorer MCS than voluntary participation, and obligatory participation in sports groups had significantly poorer MCS than non-participation.ConclusionsObligatory SP had significantly poorer MCS than voluntary participation, occasionally than non-participation; there is a possibility that obligatory SP has harmful influences on mental health of community-dwelling elderly. Measures to promote SP with consideration for individuals’ autonomy may be effective in the public health approach to maintaining mental health.

Development of an instrument for community-level health related social capital among Japanese older people: The JAGES Project.

BackgroundWe developed and validated an instrument to measure community-level social capital based on data derived from older community dwellers in Japan.MethodsWe used cross-sectional data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, a nationwide survey involving 123,760 functionally independent older people nested within 702 communities (i.e., school districts). We conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on survey items to determine the items in a multi-dimensional scale to measure community social capital. Internal consistency was checked with Cronbach's alpha. Convergent construct validity was assessed via correlating the scale with health outcomes.ResultsFrom 53 candidate variables, 11 community-level variables were extracted: participation in volunteer groups, sports groups, hobby activities, study or cultural groups, and activities for teaching specific skills; trust, norms of reciprocity, and attachment to one's community; received emotional support; provided emotional support; and received instrumental support. Using factor analysis, these variables were determined to belong to three sub-scales: civic participation (eigenvalue = 3.317, α = 0.797), social cohesion (eigenvalue = 2.633, α = 0.853), and reciprocity (eigenvalue = 1.424, α = 0.732). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the goodness of fit of this model. Multilevel Poisson regression analysis revealed that civic participation score was robustly associated with individual subjective health (Self-Rated Health: prevalence ratio [PR] 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94–0.98; Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS]: PR 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93–0.97). Reciprocity score was also associated with individual GDS (PR 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96–1.00). Social cohesion score was not consistently associated with individual health indicators.ConclusionsOur scale for measuring social capital at the community level might be useful for future studies of older community dwellers.

Association between Social Relationship and Glycemic Control among Older Japanese: JAGES Cross-Sectional Study.

AimThe present study examined whether social support, informal socializing and social participation are associated with glycemic control in older people.MethodsData for this population-based cross-sectional study was obtained from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) 2010 linked to the annual health check-up data in Japan. We analyzed 9,554 individuals aged ≥65 years without the certification of needed long-term care. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the effect of social support, informal socializing and social participations on glycemic control. The outcome measure was HbA1c ≥8.4%.Results1.3% of the participants had a level of HbA1c over 8.4%. Better glycemic control was significantly associated with meeting with friends one to four times per month (odds ratio [OR] 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]0.30–0.89, compared to meeting with friends a few times per year or less) and participation in sports groups (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.26–0.97) even after adjusting for other variables. Meeting with friends more than twice per week, receiving social support, and being married were not associated with better control of diabetes.ConclusionsMeeting with friends occasionally is associated with better glycemic control among older people.

Community social capital and tooth loss in Japanese older people: a longitudinal cohort study

ObjectiveTo date, no study has prospectively examined the association between social capital (SC) in the community and oral health. The aim of this longitudinal cohort study was to examine the...

Correlates of Regular Participation in Sports Groups among Japanese Older Adults: JAGES Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundParticipation in a sports group is key for the prevention of incident functional disability. Little is known about the correlates of older adults’ participation in sports groups, although this could assist with the development of effective health strategies. The purpose of this study was to identify the demographic and biological, psychosocial, behavioral, social and cultural, and environmental correlates of sports group participation among Japanese older adults.MethodsData were obtained from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation study, which was a population–based cohort of people aged ≥65 years without disability enrolled from 31 municipalities across Japan (n = 78,002). Poisson regression analysis was used to determine the associations between the factors and participation in sports groups.ResultsNon-regular participation in sports groups was associated with lower educational level, being employed, and working the longest in the agricultural/forestry/fishery industry among the demographic and biological factors and poor self-rated health and depression among the psychosocial factors. Of the behavioral factors, current smoking was negatively associated and current drinking was positively associated with regular participation in sports groups. Among the social and cultural factors, having emotional social support and participating in hobby clubs, senior citizen clubs, or volunteer groups were associated with a high prevalence of participation in sports groups. Perceptions of the presence of parks or sidewalks, good access to shops, and good accessibility to facilities were positively associated with participation in sports groups among the environmental factors.ConclusionsOur study suggests that the promotion of activities that could increase older adults’ participation in sports groups should consider a broad range of demographic and biological, psychosocial, behavioral, social and cultural, and environmental factors. Although future longitudinal studies to elucidate the causal associations are needed, encouraging participation in community groups through social networks might be effective for participation in sports groups.