A Factor Analytic Study of the Japanese Interest Checklist for the Elderly

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the interest patterns among Japanese older people. Method: This study of 967 healthy older people examined the factorial structure of the Japanese Interest Checklist for the Elderly (JICE) and also examined whether interest patterns differed across genders and two age groups of older people. Results: The rotated varimax factor analysis extracted six factors: Activities Parallel to Daily Living (APDL), Pleasurable Outings, Cultural/Educational Activities, Entertainment Activities, Nature-related Activities and Social Activities. Alpha coefficients indicated adequacy for APDL, Pleasurable Outings and Cultural/Educational Activities (that is, above 0.70). The other three factors had lower coefficients, near or above 0.60. Differences in the strength of interest within each of the factors were found when men and women and different age groups were compared. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the JICE adequately captures the interests of Japanese older people. Considered in the light of previous research, the results also suggest that valid assessments of interests must include items targeted to a relatively homogeneous group.