The impact of intergenerational programs on social capital in Japan: a randomized population-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundOver the last several decades, social isolation and loneliness among older adults have posed an increasingly urgent challenge due to the rapidly aging population in Japan. To remedy the situation, many communities have introduced intergenerational programs. However, few studies have investigated the benefits of social capital across generations as a result of intergenerational interaction between children and older generations. Therefore, we aim to ascertain the degree to which intergenerational programs that take root in a community will affect the social capital of all generations in the community.MethodsWe focus our research on one specific program, REPRINTS, an intergenerational health promotion program for older adults that has been active for over 10 years in Tama Ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study of residents between the ages of 20 and 84 years who were randomly selected from the basic resident register. Approximately 2500 residents were selected, of which 978 responded; data from 891 respondents were analyzed.ResultsHierarchical linear modeling suggests that the duration of programs was a significant community-level indicator of neighborhood trust. At the individual level, people between 30 and 59 years of age and people over 60 years of age have more positive effects on neighborhood trust than do people between 20 and 39 years of age.ConclusionsThe ongoing intergenerational programs between older citizens and children can enforce neighborhood trust, thus strengthening a community’s intergenerational ties. The REPRINTS program has been developed through cooperation with local citizens, senior volunteers, and teachers from the community. Its collaborative nature ensures longevity and continuous growth in a community. It is challenging to create long-term intergenerational programs that take root in communities, making persistence and collaboration a crucial factor in fruitful intergenerational relationships. Overall, ongoing intergenerational program implementation associates with building social capital, thereby strengthening potential intergenerational ties and promote mutual support among local residents which will reduce or prevent social isolation among older.

Association between social capital and loneliness among older adults: A cross-sectional study in Anhui Province, China

“…The results of the current study demonstrated the relationship between loneliness and social capital. Speci cally, older people who lacked social capital concerning social participation, social connection, and reciprocity were more likely to experience loneliness, which was echoed by ndings from previous studies [10,20,25,41]. Similar to our results, Nyqvist et al [10] found that infrequent social connection with neighbours had an increased likelihood of being lonely among older people aged 65-80 years in Western Finland.…”

“…Results from the fth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) also concluded that more social participation was a protective factor for loneliness and mitigated the impact of unfavorable socioeconomic status among older people [14]. Some studies also suggested that forming and building reciprocal connections or relationships with others could alleviate the impact of some mental health issues, including loneliness [20,42].…”

“…Subjects were asked to respond to each item with answers ranging from 1 = "never", 2 = "seldom", 3 = "usually", 4 = "often", and 5 = "more often", where each number indicated the associated score accordingly. The score ranges for each dimension were obtained by summarizing answers to each item as follows; social participation (4-20), social support (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), social connection (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15), trust (3-15), cohesion , reciprocity (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). A higher score denoted a better social capital.…”

“…Additional factors including physical inactivity, living alone, retirement, and loss of companions or friends were associated with a higher risk of loneliness among older individuals [16][17][18][19]. In the last decades, an increasing volume of studies concluded that more engagement in activities and good relationships with social contact could bene t older adults and reduce loneliness [14,20]. With the development of determinants of health, the signi cance and relevancy of social resources, including social capital, in maintaining the well-being and health of older people have been emphasized [13].…”

Social connection as a public health adaptation to extreme heat events

“…Effective partnerships that can leverage social connection to prevent heat illness might include health services, neighbourhood and building associations, business communities, faith-based groups, and municipal centres such as libraries or swimming pools (Price et al 2013). The social health of communities would also benefit from interventions to build long-term social capital through community-based interventions such as creating welcoming community designs and intergenerational programming (Murayama et al 2019). For example, Building Resilient Neighbourhoods in Victoria, BC, supports the ability of communities to build and utilize connections for emergency preparedness through "Connect & Prepare" workshops (Building Resilient Neighbourhoods 2019).…”