Social participation among residents of serviced housing for older people versus community-dwelling older people in Japan: a propensity score matching analysis

Housing has a significant impact on the health, safety, and social participation of older individuals. Japan’s Serviced Housing for Older People (SHOPs) is one such model that provides supportive services and accessible living spaces.

This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between living in SHOPs with social activity programs (SAPs) and levels of social participation. We conducted a self-reported survey of SHOP residents and compared the proportions of participants who participated in social activities in the SHOP with a control group of community-dwelling older people selected from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study using propensity score matching.

The survey obtained responses from 189 eligible participants. SHOP residents were primarily female, older, educated, unmarried, and had a better financial status than the control group. SHOP residents (n = 143) were 2.57 times more likely to exercise (p < 0.001), 1.62 times more likely to participate in hobbies (p = 0.004), and 4.37 times more likely to participate in learning activities (p < 0.001) than the control group (n = 398). However, volunteering, senior citizen clubs, neighborhood associations, and community gathering places participation did not differ significantly between the SHOP and control groups.

The findings suggest that SHOPs with SAPs have the potential to promote social participation and healthy aging among older people.