Impact of community gathering place participation on nursing care needs and medical costs among the elderly.

Background: Community gathering places (Kayoi-no-ba) have gained attention for their potential role in maintaining health and preventing nursing care needs among the elderly. This study aimed to analyse the relationship between participation in these gathering places and health outcomes, including new certifications for long-term care (LTC) needs and medical expenses.

Methods: Using data from the National Health Insurance Database of Japan (KDB), 9382 residents aged 65 or older in a city in Japan, who were not certified for LTC in fiscal year 2019, were analysed from 2019 to 2022. The study examined the association between the frequency of participation in Kayoi-no-ba and health outcomes such as new certifications for LTC needs, medical expenses, and LTC benefit costs.

Results: The participation rate was 16.3%. Multivariate analysis revealed participants attending 100 or more times had a significantly lower risk of new LTC certification compared to non-participants (adjusted OR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.14-0.59, P < 0.001). Higher frequency of participation was associated with lower LTC benefit costs (P = 0.009). No significant differences were found in medical expenses across participation frequency groups.

Conclusions: Regular participation in Kayoi-no-ba was associated with a lower risk of new certifications for LTC needs and reduced LTC benefit costs.