Associations of health practices and social aspects of life with mortality among elderly people in a Japanese rural area.

A five-year study of persons aged 65 years and over in a Japanese rural area was conducted to examine associations of health practices and the social aspects of life with mortality. Age- and sex-related changes in the associations were examined. For health practices, constipation among men aged 75 years and over, and never or not annually receiving checkups among women aged 75 years and over were associated with increased mortality risk after adjustment for the initial subjective health status. In contrast to no associations between the social aspects of life and mortality among women aged 65-74 years, social aspects of life were more predictive of mortality than subjective health status and health practices among women aged 75 years and over. In this group, having neither a job nor a family role, membership in a group for the elderly while participating only in group tours and/or lecture meetings or without attending any of the regular activities, and infrequent contact with friends were associated with increased mortality. Among men, increased mortality risk was associated with membership in a group for the elderly while participating only in group tours and/or lecture meetings in the 65-74 year-old group.