Search Results (2)

Parent–child residential distance is a focus of housing policies in Japan, which is experiencing an aging society. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between mental health and parent–child residential distance for older parents. This study design was a cross-sectional study of older parents. The data utilized were anonymized data from the 2016 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions. A two-way ANOVA test set the outcome variable as the K6 scale and the three predictors as age, gender, and parent–child residential distance. A statistically significant difference was found in the interaction between parent–child residential distance and age group. In particular, the average mental score of older parents over 75 years old living together with their children was above the cutoff value indicating serious mental illness. Meanwhile, the mental scores of older parents whose children lived in the same city did not differ significantly between those aged 65 to 74 years old and those aged 75 years and older. This study concludes that mental health is poorer among late-old-stage parents living closer to their children. This conclusion implicated the promotion of parent and child households moving to the same city from the viewpoint of mental health. Full article

Children’s independent mobility (IM) is associated with a range of benefits and understanding the factors that influence IM can support creation of effective interventions. The review (Prospero CRD42016042174) systematically summarized the available literature for social-ecological correlates of children’s IM in school-aged children and youth (aged 5–17 years). In this case, 53 studies were included and evaluated six individual, 15 interpersonal, 12 social environment, and 19 built environment- level variables. Most studies originated from Australia (n = 15) and Canada (n = 8) with most published in 2011 or later (n = 48). Variables that were consistently (positively and/or negatively) associated with children’s IM were age, ethnicity/race, child’s perceived competence, ownership of a house/access to house keys, having siblings, parents’ attitude toward IM and perception of child’s confidence, children’s interest in environment and activities, parents’ concern around traffic, housing/residential density, length of residency in one’s home, distance to destinations, and proximity to green space. Given the inter-related social-ecological correlates identified, intervention to promote children’s IM will likely need a multi-level and multi-sectoral approach. However, focus areas of building children’s skills and confidence, helping parents gain confidence in their children’s abilities, assuaging parental traffic concerns, and building environments with shorter distances to destinations of interest for children should be prioritized. Full article