地域で自立して生活する女性高齢者の作業の始まりに関する質的研究

A qualitative study on the commencement of occupations of elderly women living independently in the community

要旨：地域在住高齢者が作業を始めたきっかけとその思いを明らかにすることを目的として，12名にインタビューを実施し，質的分析を行った．結果，840のラベルが得られ，8つの概念（作業の概要，作業に伴う状況，作業の始まり，作業への思い，健康への思い，作業の影響，今後の作業，やめた作業と思い）が得られた．対象者の作業は，自分のペースで行え，他者との関わりを有し，様々な感情を伴うものであった．また，作業を始めたきっかけには内的要因に加え外的要因が関連し，特に健康維持への思いと他者からの関わりが影響していた．そして，高齢者は自身や周囲の環境の変化に合わせて，作業の形態を変化させていることが明らかとなった．

　The kinds of occupations that the elderly select and practice in the community, as well as their original motivations and personal meanings, remain unclear. Therefore, this study clarifies the motivations and meanings for the parties involved of occupations that have been introduced by elderly residents. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants, and their responses were subjected to a qualitative inductive analysis. As a result, 840 labels were obtained from participants' statements, which were eventually aggregated into eight conceptual categories: “activity overview”, “circumstances”, “motivation”, “sentiments”, “health”, “impact of activities”, “goals”, and “resignation”. Participants' “activity overviews” consisted of exercise and physical activities, and cultural activities with an emphasis on proceeding with these at one's own pace. Moreover, all activities entailed relationships with others, and it was found that such activities were associated with various “sentiments”. In addition to the intrinsic motivational factors needed for beginning activities, extrinsic factors were also important. In terms of intrinsic factors, a sense of wanting to maintain “health” was associated with the commencement of activities, and recognizing the “impact of activities” also affected their continuation. In terms of extrinsic factors, activities began based on the information obtained from recommendations of medical personnel or friends, news magazines, or other media, and others' praise and positive feedback. It was revealed that the elderly, along with changes to their mental and physical function and in the “circumstances” that surround them, were inspired to change how they pursued their conventional activities, to continue their activities, and even to undertake “goals”.