title: [Prevalence of the homebound in the elderly population within a community determined by using three measurement scales].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this cross-sectional study, we examined the prevalence of the homebound among community-dwelling elderly people who were independent in daily living and similarity in the criteria of three measurement scales of homebound.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of all residents aged 65 and older residing in Kishimoto town, Tottori Prefecture (n = 1,383), 1,316 (95.2%) who were living at home participated in a baseline survey in October 2001. All the subjects were independent in daily living. They were asked to fill out a questionnaire, which was delivered to them by a member of a public committee. We examined the prevalence of the homebound using three measurement scales (capability of leaving the house independently, frequency of going outdoors, and place of daily activities) with the chi-square test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalences of the homebound were 4.2% for the capability of leaving the house independently, 26.8% for the frequency of going outdoors, and 8.4% for the place of daily activities. The significant factors for the homebound were age and gender. Differences in prevalence were noted by judging the three measurement scales. In typical farming villages, the prevalence of the homebound going outdoors less than once a week was higher than that in other areas. The criteria of the three measurement scales for the homebound were not similar (Cohen's Kappa = 0.13, 0.12, 0.27).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We considered that using three measurement scales together in the study of the prevalence of the homebound is practical. The monitoring of the rate of mortality and disabilities associated with being homebound should be continued.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan. yuha@grape.med.tottori-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Haraguchi
authors.forename: Yoneatsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Osaki
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yakura
authors.forename: Mikizo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaetsu
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D018577:Homebound Persons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires