Factors that Promote Participation in Social Activities after Retirement

Introduction
Seeking improvements in quality of life after retirement, this study aimed to identify factors that are associated with participation in social activities, focusing on lifestyle changes after retirement and patterns of participation in social activities.

Methods
With the cooperation of members of the Retiree Club at Company A, this study investigated their basic attributes , preparation for retirement and social relationships, social participation as determined by social activity indicators, Life Satisfaction Index-K (LSI-K) scores, and quality of life as determined by the QOL26. Questionnaires were distributed to 120 attendees at a meeting of the Retiree Club in September 2010 and later returned by mail. Completed questionnaires were received from 70 respondents (response rate: 58.3%). SPSS for Windows Ver.18 was used for analysis. Approval was received for the study protocol from the Institutional Review Board at Kurume University prior to commencing the study.

Results
1. Respondents had high scores on each index of social activity, including "personal activity," "social participation/services," "learning activity," and "job," indicating they tended to be highly active.
2. After scoring the social activity indexes, we investigated factors that were associated with the scores. Results of logistic regression analysis with the total social activity score as the dependent variable demonstrated an association with "number of years after retirement".
3. Using the "personal activity" items from the social activity index as the dependent variable demonstrated an association with "social interaction with colleagues" and the LSIK .

Discussion
Social activity scores were low during the period immediately after retirement, revealing difficulties in changing activity patterns from a work-oriented lifestyle to a community-oriented one. In addition, social relations with friends and colleagues from working years had a positive influence on post-retirement social activity, which suggests that cultivating friendships can be useful in many ways, including the sharing of information about social activities.