Abstract
The aim of this study was to clarify the mental health well-being and its related factors of participants in senior citizen’s college in Japan. We conducted a cross-sectional study that included 270 persons (age 68.5+/-4.6) aged sixty years or over living in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Mental health well-being was assessed using the Japanese version of the World Health Organization Mental Health Well-being Index-five items, WHO-５. The total score of WHO-５ was 17.6+/-4.8 among all participants. From the results of multivariate logistic regression analysis, “social isolation” (OR=5.013, 95%CI=1.884–13.343) and “people cannot be trusted” (OR=3.482, 95%CI=1.125–10.784) were independently associated with low mental health well-being (WHO-５). These results suggest that, to advance the well-being of the Japanese elderly, it is necessary to develop and implement the projects which promote social functions including trust and close relationship with others, neighbors or family members.