農業従事高齢者の体力および健康状態，農作業状況の実態

The Present Status of Physical Fitness, Health Status and Situation of Their Farm Work in Elderly Agricultural Laborers

要旨

　本研究の目的は，農業従事高齢者に相応しい運動プログラムの構築に向けて，農業従事高齢者の農作業状況，健康状態および体力の現状について明らかにすることである．対象者は中間農業地域に在住する65歳以上の高齢者99名とし，男女別に農業従事群（150日以上群，150日未満群）と非農業従事群との比較検討を行った．

　その結果，男性においては，150日以上群，150日未満群の2群間で体力の統計的比較を行ったが，有意差はみられなかった．女性においては，生活体力のすべての項目で，150日以上農業従事群が非農業従事群と比較して有意に速く動作を行うことができ，特に，起居動作能力や歩行動作能力，身辺作業能力において高い水準を示した．一方，女性農業従事高齢者の手腕作業能力は，非農業従事者よりも優れているとは言い難いことが示唆された．今後，女性農業従事高齢者の生活体力の水準は全般的に高いことは賞賛し，体力の維持・向上に鼓舞できるように働きかけることが重要である．また，強化すべき体力の側面として，手腕作業能力を高めることの重要性が示唆された．

Abstract

　The purpose of this study was to clarify the present status of the physical fitness, health status and situation of their farm work in elderly agricultural laborers. The subjects of this study were 99 elderly agriculturists more than 65 years old living in an agriculture area. The subjects were classified into three groups:a non-agricultural group (group C-controls), an agriculturist's group who had been engaged in work more than 150 days/year (group A), and those who worked less than 150 days/year (group B), respectively. As a result, for males, there was no significant difference in physical fitness between groups A and B. For females, group A had significantly higher ability than those of group C in terms of functional fitness, such as locomotive movements, standing and sitting movements, and self-care movements. On the other hand, there were no statistical differences in ability for housework movements between group A and C. The results suggest that a higher level of functional fitness in elderly females should be encouraged and the necessity for maintaining it. In addition, it is important that elderly agricultural females should be trained to improve their housework movements.