title: Flow experience and health-related quality of life in community dwelling elderly Japanese.
abstract: This study was performed to investigate the relationship between mental state (especially flow experience [Flow Experience Checklist of Ishimura]) health-related quality of life (Medical Outcome Study 8-Item Short-Form Health Survey), and stress (salivary amylase concentrations). The subjects were 119 healthy elderly persons living in rural areas who participated in a "meeting for the elderly" at a nursing home in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. The subjects were classified into apathetic, anxious, relaxed, and flow groups. It was found that physical health was significantly better when performing important daily activities in the group who experienced flow and the relaxed group than in the group that was in an apathetic state. However, no significant relationship was observed between the degree of flow experience and stress. The present findings suggested that interventions which make the activities of daily life either "high-challenge, high-skill" situations or "low-challenge, high-skill" situations could have a positive influence on the physical health of community-living elderly Japanese. A longitudinal study should be performed in the future.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Health and Science, Kibi International University, Takahashi City, Okayama, Japan. hirao.kazuki@gmail.com
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirao
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Kyota
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okishima
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomokuni
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000681:Amylases / Q000032:analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012423:Rural Health; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000681:Amylases