Development and Validation of Community Development Indices That Improve Functioning of Aged Individuals in Rural Districts (First Report): Quantitative Text Analysis on “Thoughts on the Community” / 日本農村医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

In this study, we conducted text analysis to clarify the “feelings and considerations about the community (thoughts on the community)” of aged individuals in depopulated rural districts with low birth and high death rates, to identify a basis for public health nurse activities that contribute to improved functioning of aged individuals in rural areas. Quantitative text analysis was performed on free descriptive data collected from 362 aged individuals in rural districts; a co-occurrence network was created and correspondence analysis was performed. Six categories were extracted by analyzing the structure of the co-occurrence network “loneliness because of the increasing number of unoccupied houses with few children and young people around”, “changes in the neighborhood and relationship with neighbors over time”, “continuous aging and depopulation of the village”, “preciousness of living with and spending time with family”, “maintaining good health and healthy aging”, and “difficulties and worries about inconvenient access to hospitals, public administrative offices, and shops”. Correspondence analysis of extracted words identified “inside the town”, “difficult”, “depopulation”, and “town” as factors strongly contributing to the principal component. The categories revealed by text analysis in this study may indicate an approach to develop the community, through objectively analyzing and then best utilizing self-care and mutual care in aged individuals in rural districts and social solidarity and governmental care (e.g., public health services).