Biopsychosocial Consideration of Ikigai in Older Adults in Japan through a Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Ikigai—a Japanese concept that includes elements such as life’s purpose and meaning—has been reported to be associated with various systemic health conditions, such as the risk of developing physical dysfunction or death in older adults. However, there are no reports that comprehensively examine the psychological and social aspects of Ikigai. We attempted to clarify the characteristics of Ikigai by examining it from a biopsychosocial model using physical, psychological, and social perspectives through a cross-sectional study on sarcopenia, frailty and healthy life expectancy in a hilly and mountainous area of Japan. Koyadaira in Mima City, which is located in a hilly and mountainous region on Shikoku Island in Japan, was targeted. This cross-sectional study included 105 outpatients aged 65 and over, with an average age of 79.02 ± 6.91 years. Ikigai (self-rating score on a scale of 0 (no Ikigai) to 5 (the highest Ikigai)) participants’ level of physical activity (the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, PASE), degree of depression (the Geriatric Depression-15 Scale, GDS-15), cognitive function (the Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE) and social isolation (the abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale, LSNS-6) was assessed. Significant positive correlations were found between PASE and MMSE. The LSNS-6 significantly correlated with the MMSE and GDS-15. In a path model, out of four paths from PASE, GDS-15, MMSE, and LSNS-6 to Ikigai, the path from the GDS-15 alone was significant (correlation coefficient −0.271, p < 0.01). The adaptability of this model was good. This study indicates that depressive status has a large impact on Ikigai, along with physical, cognitive, and social conditions; thus, it is appropriate to consider that an affective psychological status, such as depressive symptoms, is a fundamental condition for having Ikigai.