[Risk factors for requiring long-term care among middle-aged and elderly people].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to clarify risk factors for requiring long-term care and all-cause mortality among middle-aged and elderly people.


METHODS
The subjects were 2292 residents (759 males and 1,533 females) living in rural areas and attending health checkups during 1989-1993. Using the data obtained, we examined risk factors for long-term care needs and all-cause mortality. The observation period was from health checkups to March 2002 for all-cause mortality and to September 2002 for long-term care. The Cox' proportional hazards model was used to assess for both outcomes.


RESULTS
Although all-cause mortality was two and a half times as high among males as among females, there were no differences between the sexes in the rate for requiring long-term care. In thirty five percent of cases needing long-term care, this was attributable to cerebrovascular diseases, in 24% to dementia, and in 9% to fracture. Risk factors significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality were age, low BMI, low total cholesterol, liver dysfunction, and smoking among males and females, as well as urine sugar among males and anemia among females. Risk factors significantly associated with requiring long-term care were age, hypertension and urine sugar among males, and age, anemia and urine sugar among females.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that control of hypertension and diabetes mellitus is important for avoiding necessity for long-term care.
Gohgi
Yoshiko
Y
Junsei College, Okayama.
Une
Hiroshi
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020144:Basal Ganglia Cerebrovascular Disease / Q000451:nursing; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000451:nursing; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors