A study by Professor Takeo Fujiwara of the Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University found that living in an area with advanced sidewalks halves the risk of dementia. According to the results of a follow-up survey of about 65 elderly people aged 7 and over, Professor Fujiwara and his colleagues think that it is necessary to promote sidewalk maintenance to prevent dementia in urban areas.
The survey followed up about 2010 elderly people aged 65 and over nationwide for about 7 years who participated in the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study conducted in 6,000, and the onset of dementia and the ratio of sidewalk area in the residential area. I investigated the relationship.For the sidewalk area ratio, the geographic information system was used to calculate the sidewalk ratio to the total road area of the elementary school district in the participant's place of residence.
それによると、居住地の歩道面積割合が多い群から順に9,554人、1万1,847人、2万2,661人、3万1,991人に分類し、このうち認知症を発症した人が多い群から順に502人、766人、1,431人、2,611人いた。
When this data was analyzed after removing the effect of length of residence, the group with the highest proportion of sidewalk area in the place of residence had a 45% lower risk of dementia than the group with the lowest percentage of sidewalk area.Equally significant results were obtained by removing other effects such as the number of hospitals, grocery stores, parks, bus stops, and unemployment rate in the neighborhood.However, the relationship between the sidewalk area ratio and dementia was not found except in urban areas.
Professor Fujiwara and his colleagues believe that sidewalk maintenance may be effective in preventing dementia in urban areas.In order to promote dementia-friendly urban development, it is necessary to have an easy-to-walk urban design by promoting sidewalk maintenance.
