Participation in Community Gathering Places Leads to Long-Term Care Prevention: Higher Participation Frequency Linked to Lower Disability Risk, Tea and Social Interaction Boost Happiness

A research team led by Associate Professor Kazushige Ide, Professor Katsunori Kondo, and Associate Professor Atsushi Nakagomi from the Center for Preventive Medicine at Chiba University, along with Visiting Researcher Ryota Watanabe and Professor Masashige Saito from Nihon Fukushi University, analyzed data from a one-year follow-up survey of older adults aged 65 and over in Nishiwaki City, Hyogo Prefecture. They combined this with attendance records from community gathering places ('Kayoi-no-ba') to examine the relationship between participation (frequency and type) and the subsequent risk of requiring long-term care and happiness levels. The results showed that the more frequently individuals participated, the lower their risk of needing long-term care. Furthermore, gathering places that regularly held social programs about once a month reported higher happiness levels among participants. This research is intended to help local governments implement long-term care prevention measures, including community gathering places, following a PDCA cycle. The findings were published in the academic journal Discover Social Science and Health on April 18, 2026.

Research Background In a rapidly aging society, maintaining both 'functional independence' and 'subjective well-being' among older adults is essential for promoting healthy aging. The Japanese government promotes 'Kayoi-no-ba' as a key long-term care prevention measure, and their number is expanding nationwide. Previous studies have shown that participants in these gatherings have a lower risk of losing healthy life expectancy. However, the relationship between participation frequency, program content, and happiness had not been reported. This study used data from two questionnaire surveys (December 2022 and December 2023) of 1,108 older adults aged 65 and over, and attendance records from a check-in system (September to November 2023) to verify the association between participation status and subsequent disability risk and happiness.

Key Research Findings 1) High Health and Happiness Benefits from Continuous Participation: Older adults who participated in 'Kayoi-no-ba' at least once a month had a significantly lower risk of requiring long-term care and significantly higher happiness compared to non-participants. 2) Relationship between Frequency and Effect: The effect was more pronounced with higher participation frequency. Particularly, high-frequency participation (7 times or more per month) showed a tendency to significantly reduce future long-term care risk and increase happiness. 3) Differences in Effect by Activity Type: Exercise-centered programs primarily contributed to maintaining physical function (reducing disability risk), while 'programs combining exercise with tea and social interaction' were most strongly associated with improved happiness.

Future Outlook The research team believes that by combining objective attendance records from a check-in system with early indicators like functional disability prediction scores and happiness levels, local governments can provide more efficient support for older adults in their long-term care prevention efforts. Future work will focus on longer-term follow-ups and developing systems that make it easier for local governments to conduct evaluations.

Glossary Note 1) Kayoi-no-ba (Community Gathering Places): Places where older adults and local residents regularly gather, interact, and engage in activities, primarily aimed at preventing long-term care needs and frailty. Note 2) Long-term Care Risk: This study used a risk assessment scale score for requiring support or long-term care. The score is based on 12 items (10 mandatory questions from the long-term care prevention needs survey, plus sex and age). The total score is 48 points; a higher score indicates a higher probability of being certified as needing support or long-term care within three years. Note 3) Happiness: Subjective happiness was evaluated using the question, 'How happy are you currently? (Please rate from 0, very unhappy, to 10, very happy)', based on the long-term care prevention needs survey.

Paper Information Title: Community gathering places participation and later functional disability and happiness among older adults in Japan Authors: Kazushige Ide, Ryota Watanabe, Masashige Saito, Kenjiro Kawaguchi, Kiyomi Matsumura, Katsunori Kondo, Atsushi Nakagomi Journal: Discover Social Science and Health DOI: 10.1007/s44155-026-00407-5

Research Project This study was supported by joint research funds from Totech Amenity, the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) (JPMJOP1831), JSPS KAKENHI (23H00060, 25K16857), and the Kajima Foundation. Nihon Fukushi University participated as a joint research institution in the JST's OPERA program 'Design and Evaluation Technology for Well Active Community through Zero-order Prevention Strategy and its Social Implementation (JPMJOP1831)'.