Skip to main content
. 2022 Jun 5;32(6):245–253. doi: 10.2188/jea.JE20200427

Table 1. Baseline characteristics of older Japanese participants (n = 48,216) who were 65 years of age or older, Japan, 2010–2016.

Characteristic Total number of leisure activities

0 (n = 13,953) 1 (n = 8,228) 2 (n = 8,197) 3 (n = 6,842) 4 (n = 4,711) 5 (n = 2,957) 6–17 (n = 3,328)







No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Deaths 2,077 14.9 1,180 14.3 921 11.2 630 9.2 363 7.7 208 7.0 196 5.9
Sex                            
 Male 5,833 41.8 3,754 45.6 3,769 46.0 3,280 47.9 2,257 47.9 1,516 52.3 1,769 53.2
 Female 8,120 58.2 4,474 54.4 4,428 54.0 3,562 52.1 2,454 52.1 1,441 48.7 1,559 46.8
Age, years                            
 65–69 3,782 27.1 1,877 22.8 2,246 27.4 2,045 29.9 1,420 30.1 925 31.3 1,111 33.4
 70–74 3,966 28.4 2,275 27.7 2,427 29.6 2,155 31.5 1,619 34.4 1,018 34.4 1,153 34.7
 75–79 3,028 21.7 2,053 25.0 1,960 23.9 1,589 23.2 1,036 22.0 653 22.1 711 21.4
 ≥80 3,177 22.8 2,023 25.6 1,564 19.1 1,053 15.4 636 15.4 361 12.2 353 10.6
Educational attainment, years                        
 ≤9 8,183 58.7 4,698 57.1 3,991 48.7 2,815 41.1 1,737 36.9 971 32.8 807 24.3
 10–12 3,859 27.7 2,256 27.4 2,771 33.8 2,548 37.2 1,828 38.8 1,141 38.6 1,394 41.9
 ≥13 1,520 10.9 984 12.0 1,248 15.2 1,359 19.9 1,088 23.1 804 27.2 1,086 32.6
 Other/missing 391 2.8 290 3.5 187 2.3 120 1.8 58 1.2 41 1.4 41 1.2
Annual income, Japanese yen                        
 <2.00 million 6,283 45.0 3,605 43.8 3,348 40.8 2,609 38.1 1,664 35.3 1,009 34.1 1,009 30.3
 2.00–3.99 million 3,629 26.0 2,127 25.9 2,580 31.5 2,483 36.3 1,890 40.1 1,208 40.9 1,555 46.7
 ≥4.00 million 1,057 7.6 621 7.6 764 9.3 718 10.5 547 11.6 402 13.6 461 13.9
 Missing 2,984 21.4 1,875 22.8 1,505 18.4 1,032 15.1 610 13.0 338 11.4 303 9.1
Employment status                            
 Working 3,187 22.8 1,723 20.9 1,752 21.4 1,438 21.0 941 20.0 554 18.7 596 17.9
 Retired 6,573 47.1 4,032 49.0 4,409 53.8 4,025 58.8 2,928 62.2 1,914 64.7 2,277 68.4
 Never worked 1,933 13.9 1,052 12.8 970 11.8 695 10.2 425 9.0 268 9.1 248 7.5
 Missing 2,260 16.2 1,421 17.3 1,066 13.0 684 10.0 417 8.9 221 7.5 207 6.2
Living situation                            
 Live alone 1,640 11.8 1,075 13.1 1,120 13.7 808 11.8 541 11.5 353 11.9 404 12.1
 Live with others 12,036 86.3 6,981 84.8 6,954 84.8 5,960 87.1 4,133 87.7 2,578 87.2 2,899 87.1
 Missing 277 2.0 175 2.1 123 1.5 74 1.1 37 0.79 26 0.88 25 0.75
Marital status                            
 Married 9,290 66.6 5,509 67.0 5,784 70.6 5,002 73.1 3,542 75.2 2,255 76.3 2,584 77.6
 Widowed 3,424 24.5 1,979 24.1 1,804 22.0 1,406 20.6 906 19.2 554 18.7 581 17.5
 Divorced 539 3.9 280 3.4 269 3.3 201 2.9 129 2.7 73 2.5 83 2.49
 Not married 291 2.1 176 2.14 167 2.0 123 1.8 82 1.7 47 1.6 55 1.7
 Other/missing 409 2.9 284 3.5 173 2.1 110 1.6 52 1.1 28 1.0 25 0.75
Smoking status                            
 Non-smoker 7,824 56.1 4,553 55.3 4,651 56.7 3,908 57.1 2,666 56.6 1,660 56.1 1,841 55.3
 Ex-smoker 3,334 23.9 2,007 24.4 2,203 26.9 1,937 28.3 1,461 31.0 956 3.3 1,140 34.3
 Smoker 1,695 12.2 1,010 12.3 863 10.5 683 10.0 403 8.6 229 7.7 257 7.7
 Missing 1,100 7.9 658 8.0 480 5.9 314 4.6 181 3.8 112 3.8 90 2.7
Alcohol intake                            
 Non-drinker 9,264 66.4 5,325 64.7 5,111 62.4 3,984 58.2 2,689 57.1 1,548 52.4 1,608 48.3
 Ex-drinker 529 3.8 281 3.4 311 3.8 213 3.1 139 3.0 90 3.0 101 3.0
 Drinker 3,862 27.7 2,408 29.3 2,618 31.9 2,543 37.2 1,827 38.8 1,279 43.3 1,601 48.1
 Missing 298 2.1 214 2.6 157 1.9 102 1.5 56 1.4 40 1.4 18 0.54
BMI, kg/m2                            
 <18.5 1,164 8.3 652 7.9 578 7.1 425 6.2 262 5.6 165 5.6 163 4.9
 18.5–24.9 8,921 63.9 5,361 65.2 5,562 67.9 4,832 70.6 3,443 73.1 2,168 73.3 2,489 74.8
 25.0–29.9 2,685 19.2 1,576 19.2 1,560 19.0 1,304 19.1 831 17.6 527 17.8 581 17.5
 ≥30.0 329 2.4 188 2.3 180 2.2 112 1.6 64 1.4 36 1.2 34 1.0
 Missing 854 6.1 451 5.5 317 3.9 169 2.5 111 2.4 61 2.1 61 1.8
IADL                            
 Mean 10.7 11.2 11.7 12.0 12.2 12.4 12.5
Depressive symptoms                            
 Non-depressed (GDS <5) 7,056 50.6 4,501 54.7 5,046 61.6 4,624 67.6 3,299 70.0 2,195 74.2 2,621 78.8
 Depressed (GDS ≥5) 4,454 31.9 2,190 26.6 1,778 21.7 1,223 17.9 763 16.2 366 12.4 295 8.9
 Missing 2,443 17.5 1,537 18.7 1,373 16.8 995 14.5 649 13.8 396 13.4 412 12.4
Cognitive complaints                            
 No 7,968 57.1 4,831 58.7 5,340 65.2 4,601 67.3 3,344 71.0 2,116 71.6 2,476 74.4
 Yes 5,706 40.9 3,195 38.8 2,697 32.9 2,150 31.4 1,303 27.7 812 27.5 820 24.6
 Missing 279 2.0 202 2.5 160 2.0 91 1.3 64 1.4 29 1.0 32 1.0
Self-rated health                            
 Very good 1,143 8.2 805 9.8 814 9.9 909 13.3 688 14.6 510 17.3 738 22.2
 Good 9,022 64.7 5,498 66.8 5,826 71.1 4,955 72.4 3,425 72.7 2,095 70.9 2,302 69.2
 Poor 3,055 21.9 1,573 19.1 1,309 16.0 818 12.0 529 11.2 290 9.8 237 7.1
 Very poor 549 3.9 242 2.9 152 1.4 94 1.4 41 0.9 33 1.1 27 0.81
 Missing 184 1.3 110 1.3 96 1.0 66 1.0 28 0.6 29 1.0 24 0.72
Self-reported disease diagnoses                        
 Cancer (yes) 619 4.4 347 4.2 353 4.3 276 4.0 199 4.2 138 4.7 131 3.9
 Heart disease (yes) 1,730 12.4 994 12.1 937 11.4 745 10.9 545 11.6 322 10.9 365 11.0
 Stroke (yes) 181 1.3 114 1.4 95 1.16 72 1.1 42 0.89 27 0.91 42 1.3
 Diabetes mellitus (yes) 1,802 12.9 1,027 12.5 1,000 12.2 839 12.3 532 11.3 376 12.7 374 11.2
 Respiratory disease (yes) 554 4.0 296 3.6 300 3.7 201 2.9 148 3.1 91 3.1 84 2.5
 Others (yes) 9,563 68.5 5,810 70.6 5,766 70.3 4,715 68.9 3,206 68.1 2,003 67.7 2,142 64.4
 Missing 248 1.8 134 1.6 140 1.7 92 1.3 44 0.93 27 0.91 35 1.1
Frequency of meet friends                        
 Once or more/week 5,847 41.9 4,167 50.6 4,483 54.7 4,131 60.4 2,958 62.8 1,919 64.9 2,335 70.2
 Once or twice/month 2,649 19.0 1,585 19.3 1,689 20.6 1,336 19.5 932 19.8 601 20.3 555 16.7
 Rarely 4,586 32.9 2,001 24.3 1,669 20.4 1,188 17.4 706 19.8 370 12.5 379 11.4
 Missing 871 6.2 475 5.8 356 4.3 187 2.7 115 15.0 67 2.3 59 1.8
Number of meet friends                        
 ≤5/month 8,202 58.8 4,308 52.4 3,799 46.4 2,612 38.2 1,580 33.5 845 28.6 787 23.7
 ≥6/month 4,620 33.1 3,295 40.1 4,027 49.1 4,073 59.5 3,040 64.5 2,071 70.0 2,498 75.1
 Missing 1,131 8.1 625 7.6 371 4.5 157 2.3 91 1.9 41 1.4 43 1.3
Receive emotional support                        
 Yes 12,187 87.3 7,236 87.9 7,545 92.1 6,435 94.1 4,471 94.9 2,805 94.9 3,201 96.2
 No 1,103 7.9 598 7.3 412 5.0 243 3.6 142 3.0 110 3.7 90 2.7
 Missing 663 4.8 394 4.8 240 2.9 164 2.4 98 2.1 42 1.4 37 1.1
Receive instrumental support                        
 Yes 12,547 89.9 7,464 90.7 7,619 92.9 6,475 94.6 4,471 94.9 2,824 95.5 3,193 95.9
 No 846 6.1 437 5.3 384 4.7 237 3.5 159 3.4 95 3.2 87 2.6
 Missing 560 4.0 327 4.0 194 2.4 130 1.9 81 1.7 38 1.3 48 1.4

BMI, body mass index; GDS, geriatric depression scale; IADL, instrumental activities of daily living.