The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate relationships between individuals' ratings of satisfaction and performance of activities that they found meaningful and depressive symptoms. Data was obtained from 806 older adults (mean age 74.9 ± 6.3 years, women = 63.0%) who participated in a community-based health check survey (Tarumizu Study 2018). Participants selected meaningful activities from 95 activities using the Aid for Decision-Making in Occupation Choice and evaluated their satisfaction and performance. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and defined by a GDS-15 score of ≥5. Non-linear logistic regression analyses were used separately by gender to examine the association between satisfaction and performance of meaningful activities and depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 15.8%. We found no significant difference between meaningful activity choice between older adults with depressive symptoms and those without, in both men and women. After adjusting for potential covariates, satisfaction was associated with depressive symptoms in both men (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.35-0.77) and women (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.49-0.91), but performance was limited in women (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77-0.99). Our findings suggest that depressive symptoms are associated with satisfaction in meaningful activities regardless of activity categories.

Objectives This cross‐sectional study aimed to clarify the relationship between apathy, meaningful activities, and satisfaction with such activities of older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods We analyzed 235 older adults with MCI (≥65 years, mean age: 76.9 ± 6.4 years, women: 63.4%) who participated in a community‐based health check survey (Tarumizu Study 2018). MCI was defined as at least 1.5 SD below the reference threshold (age‐ and education‐adjusted score) on one or more of the computerized cognitive test including memory, attention, executive functions, and processing speed. Apathy symptoms were assessed using three of the 15 items of Geriatric Depression Scale. Participants selected meaningful activities from the 95 activities of the Aid for Decision‐Making in Occupation Choice and evaluated their satisfaction and performance. Results Apathy in MCI was prevalent by 23.8%. The categories of meaningful activities revealed no difference, with, or without apathy. Logistic regression analysis showed that activity satisfaction was significantly associated with apathy after adjusting for age, sex, education, instrumental activities of daily living, depressive symptoms, and MCI subtype (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44–0.88, p = 0.008). Conclusions Satisfaction with the activities that are deemed meaningful is associated with apathy among community‐dwelling older adults with MCI.

The study is cross-sectional in nature and aims to investigate the relationship of the frequency of socialization (FOS) to the daily life, social life, and physical function of community-dwelling adults aged 60 and over after the COVID-19 outbreak. A self-reported questionnaire survey was conducted on 3000 members of CO-OP Kagoshima, out of which 342 responses were received. Bivariate statistics was conducted followed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Questions with significant differences were set as independent variables, whereas the FOS was set as the dependent variable. Results indicate significant group differences between the decreased and increased/unchanged groups. After adjusting for potential covariates, multiple logistic regression analysis revealed decreases in the frequencies of cooking (OR: 0.07; 95% CI: 0.01–0.69; p = 0.02), shopping (OR: 18.76; 95% CI: 7.12–49.41; p < 0.01), and eating out (OR: 3.47; 95% CI: 1.21–9.97; p = 0.02), which were significantly associated with decreased FOS. The finding may inform policy making in identifying priorities for support in daily life for community-dwelling adults over the age of 60 undergoing social distancing.

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The ability to use everyday technology (ET) is becoming increasingly necessary for maintaining domestic and social lives. For older adults, difficulties with using ETs can begin at the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) state and may indicate increasing cognitive decline. The aim of this study was to conduct a detailed investigation into the ability to use ETs among Japanese older community-dwelling adults at 3 stages of cognitive function and the ability to carry out daily activities. <b><i>Method:</i></b> We analyzed family members’ responses to questions about older adults with cognitive decline in their families. A total of 168 older adults with subjective memory complaints (SMC) or cognitive decline and inconvenience in daily life were analyzed. A questionnaire was used to assess the characteristics, ability to use ETs, and ability to manage refrigerator contents, all of which can be early signs of dementia. Participants were divided 3 groups by the type of dementia: SMC (<i>n</i> = 77), MCI (<i>n</i> = 36), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (<i>n</i> = 55) for comparison. <b><i>Result:</i></b> The observation list of early signs of dementia (OLD) total score indicated a significant positive correlation with the number of ET errors (<i>r</i> = 0.37, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) and number of difficulties with refrigerator management (<i>r</i> = 0.18, <i>p</i> = 0.031). Regarding number of ET errors, there was a significant main effect for the 3 groups, and the SMC group made significantly fewer errors than the AD group (<i>p</i> = 0.02). In 7 of the 11 ET categories, errors with using ETs were associated with all 3 groups, with the SMC group making fewer errors, and the AD group making more. Regarding difficulties with refrigerator management, 2 out of 9 problems were associated with the 3 groups, with the SMC group having fewer difficulties and the AD group having more. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> The results indicated that the ability to use ETs and to manage refrigerator contents begins to decline at the SMC stage. Further evaluation of the ability to use ETs is needed for older adults with SMC so that adequate support in the context of the individual can be provided.

Background: The psychological condition and frequency of going out (FGO) of community-dwelling older adults after the spread of COVID-19 will provide insights for supporting the daily lives of community-dwelling older adults. Going out is defined as moving from one’s own home to a place or region beyond one’s own home and is considered to reflect the daily and social life of community-dwelling older adults. This study investigates the relationship between the FGO and current psychological condition after the second wave of COVID-19 in community-dwelling older adults in Japan. Methods: This study adopted a self-administered questionnaire by mail. A total of 493 members of CO-OP Kagoshima were included in the analysis and divided into two groups according to the change in FGO. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted after a bivariate analysis to investigate the relationship between the FGO and psychological condition. Results: Significant differences were noted between the groups with decreased FGO and those with increased/unchanged FGO in general and pandemic-related psychological condition. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a significant relationship between FGO and psychological condition, such as mental fatigue, not smiling as much as before, and anxiousness to go outside. Conclusion: Community-dwelling older adults may have experienced a decrease in the frequency of going out and a detrimental effect on their psychological condition after the COVID-19 pandemic. This finding may inform strategies to identify priorities for psychological approaches altered by COVID-19 to prevent confinement and stress in older adults.