Group participation and the risk of functional decline in later life: A Prospective Cohort Study
Although group participation benefits older adults’ health, its effects may vary by group type. The Japanese Health and Welfare Co-operative (Hew Co-op) organises peer-led group participation called ‘Han Kai’ meetings to promote health literacy, but the impact of Han Kai participation on health indi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580251348822 |
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| author | Makoto Kaneko PhD Fumihiro Saitoh PhD Hotaka Hara MD Takako Motomura Kumiko Maruyama Yumiko Okamoto BA Hisako Kuribayashi Kouichi Imai LLB Katsunori Kondo PhD |
| author_facet | Makoto Kaneko PhD Fumihiro Saitoh PhD Hotaka Hara MD Takako Motomura Kumiko Maruyama Yumiko Okamoto BA Hisako Kuribayashi Kouichi Imai LLB Katsunori Kondo PhD |
| author_sort | Makoto Kaneko PhD |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although group participation benefits older adults’ health, its effects may vary by group type. The Japanese Health and Welfare Co-operative (Hew Co-op) organises peer-led group participation called ‘Han Kai’ meetings to promote health literacy, but the impact of Han Kai participation on health indicators remains unexplored. This study aimed to examine whether the frequency and duration of Han Kai participation were associated with risk of functional disability. This was a prospective cohort study conducted in Japan between 2018 and 2022. The participants were Han Kai members aged ≥ 65 years who did not receive a Long-Term Care certification. The exposure variables were the frequency of participation in Han Kai per year and the years of participation in 2018. The main outcome was a risk assessment scale score for predicting incident functional disabilities in 2022. Multivariate linear regression was conducted to adjust for covariates. In the study, 2359 older adults participated. Overall, the frequency of Han Kai participation was not significantly associated with disability risk scores. However, participants with ≥10 years of involvement had significantly lower scores (β = –1.95, 95% CI: –3.64 to –0.26, P = .024). Among those aged ≥ 75 years, both frequency and duration showed a significant inverse association with risk scores, with a dose–response relationship. Sustained participation in peer-led group meetings such as Han Kai may help mitigate functional decline, particularly among the oldest age groups. These findings support policies that promote long-term community engagement as part of healthy ageing strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ccd82eeb37704570a05029d610e30df0 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0046-9580 1945-7243 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing |
| spelling | doaj-art-ccd82eeb37704570a05029d610e30df02025-08-20T02:50:33ZengSAGE PublishingInquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing0046-95801945-72432025-07-016210.1177/00469580251348822Group participation and the risk of functional decline in later life: A Prospective Cohort StudyMakoto Kaneko PhD0Fumihiro Saitoh PhD1Hotaka Hara MD2Takako Motomura3Kumiko Maruyama4Yumiko Okamoto BA5Hisako Kuribayashi6Kouichi Imai LLB7Katsunori Kondo PhD8Kitasato University, Kanagawa, JapanTokyo Health Cooperative Association, JapanEhime Medical Cooperative, JapanKagoshima Health Cooperative Association, JapanHealth Co-operative Saitama, JapanOkayama Medical Health Cooperation, JapanJapanese Health and Welfare Co-operative Federation, Tokyo, JapanJapanese Health and Welfare Co-operative Federation, Tokyo, JapanCenter for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, JapanAlthough group participation benefits older adults’ health, its effects may vary by group type. The Japanese Health and Welfare Co-operative (Hew Co-op) organises peer-led group participation called ‘Han Kai’ meetings to promote health literacy, but the impact of Han Kai participation on health indicators remains unexplored. This study aimed to examine whether the frequency and duration of Han Kai participation were associated with risk of functional disability. This was a prospective cohort study conducted in Japan between 2018 and 2022. The participants were Han Kai members aged ≥ 65 years who did not receive a Long-Term Care certification. The exposure variables were the frequency of participation in Han Kai per year and the years of participation in 2018. The main outcome was a risk assessment scale score for predicting incident functional disabilities in 2022. Multivariate linear regression was conducted to adjust for covariates. In the study, 2359 older adults participated. Overall, the frequency of Han Kai participation was not significantly associated with disability risk scores. However, participants with ≥10 years of involvement had significantly lower scores (β = –1.95, 95% CI: –3.64 to –0.26, P = .024). Among those aged ≥ 75 years, both frequency and duration showed a significant inverse association with risk scores, with a dose–response relationship. Sustained participation in peer-led group meetings such as Han Kai may help mitigate functional decline, particularly among the oldest age groups. These findings support policies that promote long-term community engagement as part of healthy ageing strategies.https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580251348822 |
| spellingShingle | Makoto Kaneko PhD Fumihiro Saitoh PhD Hotaka Hara MD Takako Motomura Kumiko Maruyama Yumiko Okamoto BA Hisako Kuribayashi Kouichi Imai LLB Katsunori Kondo PhD Group participation and the risk of functional decline in later life: A Prospective Cohort Study Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing |
| title | Group participation and the risk of functional decline in later life: A Prospective Cohort Study |
| title_full | Group participation and the risk of functional decline in later life: A Prospective Cohort Study |
| title_fullStr | Group participation and the risk of functional decline in later life: A Prospective Cohort Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Group participation and the risk of functional decline in later life: A Prospective Cohort Study |
| title_short | Group participation and the risk of functional decline in later life: A Prospective Cohort Study |
| title_sort | group participation and the risk of functional decline in later life a prospective cohort study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580251348822 |
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