Ａ県南部の過疎地域に住む高齢者の自己避難訓練時に自覚する体力と生活習慣の実態

Subjective evaluation of physical capacity during voluntary evacuation drills and lifestyle habits of elderly people living in sparsely populated areas of southern A Prefecture

要約

【目的】

　災害時及び避難時に生じやすい高齢者の身体的課題を最小にするため高齢者自身が自覚する体力と生活習慣との関連について実態及び課題を明確にする。

【方法】

　対象はＡ県南部沿岸地域の高齢者で、データ収集は留置法による自記式質問紙とした。調査項目は、生活習慣、自覚する体力の程度、自己避難訓練の測定、身体・精神的健康状態、幸福感、ADLテスト等とした。状態や満足度の測定には、VAS（Visual Analog Scale）を用い相関分析をした。

【結果】

　対象者は134人で、自己避難訓練は殆どが晴天時の昼間に実施し全体の約20％は未実施であった。高齢者の「十分に自信がある」「まあ自信がある」と回答した約80％は、体力に自信を持ち、ADLテスト得点は身体・精神的健康状態に有意な関連がみられた。

【結論】

　身体・精神的健康状態、幸福感、ADL得点が体力の自信と有意に関連していた。過疎地域の高齢者の体力維持のため運動介入だけではなく地域の高齢者が生活の満足度を高めるようコミュニティの育成を目指した介入も併せて行うことが重要である。

[Purpose] This study was performed to clarify associations between subjective physical capacity and lifestyle habits among elderly people in order to minimize physical problems that are likely to arise during disasters and in emergency evacuation situations.

[Subjects and Methods] The subjects were elderly people living in coastal areas of southern A Prefecture. The data were obtained using a door-to-door self-administered survey approach. Items investigated included lifestyle habits, subjective physical capacity, voluntary evacuation drill performance, mental and physical condition, levels of happiness and ADL scores. The visual analog scale was employed to evaluate conditions and satisfaction levels for correlation analysis.

[Results] Approximately 20% of the 134 respondents did not participate in voluntary evacuation drills, while many of the remainder had taken part during the daytime on sunny days. Approximately 80% were very confident or somewhat confident of their physical strength. ADL scores exhibited a significant correlation to mental and physical condition.

[Observation] Mental and physical condition, levels of happiness and ADL scores exhibited significant correlations to confidence in physical strength. Exercise intervention should be implemented for elderly people living in sparsely populated areas to help them maintain the levels of physical strength needed for evacuation, along with other types of intervention, to develop communities where the elderly can achieve higher levels of satisfaction.