Association between social mutual aid andpsychological stress (K6) of residents in rural district

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the association between social mutual aid and psychological stress among residents in a rural district. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study based on Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Care Utilization was conducted on 2,500 residents of City A in Akita Prefecture who were aged 65 years or older. The study was conducted from April 8 to May 15, 2017. Participants were administered a questionnaire containing items on individual characteristics (predisposing, enabling, and need) and contextual characteristics (physical factors). Results: Responses were obtained from 1,236 participants, and data from 974 valid questionnaires were analyzed. Factors related to the high level of psychological stress were “maintenance of confidential relationships that could only be formed in the rural district (low)” and “social support (low)”, which are forms of social mutual aid. Use of health services had no association with psychological stress, whereas when psychological stress was high (5 points or higher), the rate of “not participating in community groups (no)” was also high. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate the need for the objective evaluation of the roles of self-help and mutual help among elderly adults living in a rural district and the mutual help and public help functions represented by health services. It is also important to develop districts that promote the enhancement of social mutual aid so that such help can be fully utilized.