Causal relationships between physical, mental and social health-related factors among the Japanese elderly: A chronological study

Motoyuki Yuasa, Tanji Hoshi, Takashi Hasegawa, Naoko Nakayama, Toshihiko Takahashi, Sugako Kurimori, Naoko Sakurai

Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan.
Graduate School of Nursing, Ibaraki Christian University, Ibaraki, Japan.
Graduate School of Nursing, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan.
Graduate School of Urban System Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan.
School of Nursing, Tokyo Jikeikai Medical College, Tokyo, Japan.

DOI: 10.4236/health.2012.43021                

Abstract

The World Health Organization defines health as a state of physical, mental and social well being. This study was conducted to explore chronological relationships between physical, mental and social factors. Among urban-dwelling elderly aged 65 years and over, data were collected via a self-report questionnaire in 2001 and 2004. The three health-related latent factors were identified with nine measurement variables by an exploratory factor analysis. A structural equation modeling method was used to analyze underlying relationships among the three factors with a cross-lagged model and a synchronous model. A total of 7,683 individuals aged between 65 and 84 years were analyzed. The three-year prior and current physical health significantly affected social health as well as mental health, and this effect appeared to be stronger in males compared to females. Maintenance of physical health may be crucial to support mental and social health among elderly individuals.

Keywords

Physical Health; Mental Health; Social Health; Elderly; Japan

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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