Interest in and standard of selection of clothing related to quality of life in older Japanese adults: Sex, age, and physical function differences

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the cross-sectional association between quality of life (QOL) in older adults and their interest in and standard of selection of clothing. The QOL of older adults in this study was assessed by the sense of life worth living (in Japanese, Ikigai). We hypothesized that having an interest in clothing and dressing behaviors may help maintain and enhance the QOL of older adults. In January 2010, a questionnaire survey including demographic factors (age, sex, and activities of daily living), interest in clothing, standard of selection of clothing, and sense of life worth living was distributed to 850 older Japanese people (aged 70–95 years) who were registered with a survey company. Responses from 499 people (256 men and 243 women; response rate, 58.7%) were analyzed. For standard of selection of clothing, all scores for women were higher than they were for men; no significant age-group differences were observed, however. Furthermore, scores for interest in one's own and others' dressing behavior and interest in fashion were significantly greater in those who were younger or independent. The hierarchical multiple regression analyses also showed that the clothing-related variables significantly explained variance of the sense of life worth living (Ikigai) in older people (from 10% to 23%). We suggest that selecting personal taste in dress and/or an interest in clothing contribute to maintaining and enhancing QOL in older adults.View full abstract