Characteristics of Community-Dwelling Older People Who Are Less Likely to Respond to Mail Surveys Under Infection Countermeasures for New Strains of Coronavirus: The Takasaki Study

This study aimed to identify the characteristics of community-dwelling older people who are difficult to reach by mail survey in anticipation of a future infectious disease crisis. A baseline survey of 1808 community-dwelling older people was conducted in May 2021, and a follow-up survey of 935 respondents was conducted in May 2023. Factors predictive of responding to the follow-up survey included age at baseline, sex, comorbidities, living with family, long-term care insurance, a history of falls, the Simple Frailty Index, and a Questionnaire on Changes in Lifestyle in the Past Month (QCL). Participants were divided into the responding (n = 330) and non-responding (n = 605) groups. Binomial logistic regression analysis was used to analyze items that showed significant differences in the between-group comparison: odds ratios (ORs) of 2.36, 1.84, 1.69, 1.57, and 1.20 for living alone, having comorbidities, having long-term care insurance, fatigue, and reduced ability to communicate, respectively. If social distancing is required in the future, we believe that face-to-face support should be prioritized for people who live alone, have comorbidities, use long-term care insurance, or are aware of fatigue and limited communication, as it is highly unlikely that they will be able to continue exchanging written information.