Allaying Post-COVID19 Negative Health Impacts Among Older People: The “Need To Do Something With Others”—Lessons From the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study

Kimura, Miyako; Ojima, Toshiyuki; Ide, Kazushige; Kondo, Katsunori

Restrictions on going out, meeting other people, and participating in activities during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-2019) pandemic may have a prolonged effect on older people. This article discusses the importance of social relationships in the health of older people based on the results of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) that has conducted nationwide longitudinal studies. We selected cohort studies of JAGES, which investigated the relationships between social relationships and health, with more than 10 000 participants and published after 2010. The results showed that having contact with others, eating with others, and participating in social activities were negatively related to incident dementia, functional disability, depression, and premature death. A minimum of weekly contact with others, eating with others, and social participation by maintaining physical distancing are needed, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. For reducing the risks of transmission of coronavirus and its negative effects on health in the future, using the internet may be beneficial. The development of technological support networks for older people may be necessary.