Gender and age variations in the association between multigenerational cohabitation and self-rated health among middle-aged and older adults in Japan.

Abstract

Despite encouraging multi-generational cohabitation, the population of Japanese people living alone has increased. However, little is known about the association between health and multigenerational cohabitation. This study examined the relationship between self-rated health and living arrangements among Japanese adults using data from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study (2013-2017). The analysis employed multivariate logistic regression to examine the associations. Our results showed no association between living arrangements and self-rated health when stratified by gender. Living alone was found to be associated with poor self-rated health among women aged 65 and above. A similar association may exist among men in the same age group. Among women aged < 65 years, two-generation cohabitation was associated with a good self-rated health, similar to those living alone. Among men aged < 65 years, neither living alone nor two-generation cohabitation was significantly associated with good self-rated health. We found no association between three- or plus-generation cohabitation and self-rated health. Therefore, our findings indicate associations between multigenerational cohabitation and self-rated health, but they vary by gender and age. Invested stakeholders in the public health field should consider the potential impact of living arrangements on health based on gender and age.