title: Predictors of eligibility for long-term care funding for older people in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the predictors of Japanese long-term care insurance system (LTCI) certification.
  
  
  METHODS
  Care needs of 784 persons aged 65-84 were followed through LTCI over 5 years. Each participant's score was divided into quartiles according to handgrip strength and one-leg standing time with eyes open. Cox proportional hazard models were conducted for the onset of certification of LTCI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over the 5-year period 64 women (14%) and 30 men (9%) were certified. Adjusted hazard ratios for certification were significantly higher for those of the lowest groups of one-leg standing time with eyes open at baseline than those in the highest groups, but no significance was found for handgrip strength. Other predictors were age and low social activity for women; and living alone and diabetes for men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One-leg standing time with eyes open predicts the onset of care-need certification in older people.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion, National Institute of Public Health, Wako-Shi, Saitama, Japan. shyomi@niph.go.jp
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moriya
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miura
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D004608:Eligibility Determination / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D018737:Hand Strength; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D013997:Time Factors