高齢障害者が机・テーブルと関わる活動—活動頻度と種目，及び認知水準・日常生活活動自立水準との関連について

Table-related activities for disabled elderly

要旨：高齢障害者に適切な机・テーブルの高さの適合を検討していくことを目的とした研究の一部として，「高齢障害者はどのような活動を机と関わり行っているのか」，「認知水準や日常生活活動自立水準と活動種目とその頻度に関連があるのか」という研究疑問について調べた．介護老人保健施設入所者から無作為抽出した15名を調査対象とした．机と関わる活動(table-related activities)を，机上対象を操作する活動と机で人体支持する活動と定義し，これらを行う姿勢，種目の12時間観察を時間ランダムサンプリング法で行った．その結果，高齢障害者は椅子・車椅子座位で食事，休息，テレビ鑑賞，家事を主として机と関わり行っていた．認知水準の違いは活動頻度に，日常生活活動自立水準の違いは活動種目に関連があることが示された．

　Objective ! We investigated the following questions to determine the suitable height of a table for use by the disabled elderly.

　1. What kind of table-related activities do disabled elderly perform ?

　2. Are the various kinds of table-related activities and frequency of use related to cognitive level and also to dependency level in ADLs ?

　Method: Fifteen subjects who lived in a geriatric nursing home were randomly sampled. Investigators observed the table-related activities of the subjects over a course of 12 hours by a time-random sampling method.

　Results: The main observed table-related activities included eating, resting, watching TV, and home making in the sitting posture. There were some differences in activities according to the level of cognition and of dependency in ADLs.

　Conclusion: We found four main table-related activities. The cognitive level of the subjects were related to the frequency of activities. The dependency level in ADLs of the subjects were related to the number of kinds of activities.