Japan Society for the Promotion of Science:Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
Date (from‐to) : 2012/04 -2015/03
Author : UCHIDA Hayato; EGUCHI Yoshiaki; NISHIGAKI Toshio; KURODA Jiro
We discussed the intergenerational exchange program supported by the senior volunteers for the children living in a child welfare institution and clarified its influence on their mental and physical health. twenty-two children (age range 6-12) who live in a child welfare institution in Hyogo Prefecture, the western part of Japan. In a survey that we performed at the beginning of November 2012, we inquired children about the effects of the program (environmental learning program) and their images of the elderly. The images of the elderly in the items such as “strong”, “kind” and “reliable” significantly improved (P<0.05, respectively). The image score of “right” was higher in children living in the institution (P<0.01), compared with the one of the control group. These findings suggested that the implementation of the program supported by the elderly possibly improves the institutionalized children’s images of the elderly including strength, kindness and reliability.