Association between Sense of life Worth Living

(ikigai) and Mortality Risk

Tohoku University epidemiologists have revealed an association between sense of life worth living (ikigai) and mortality risk.

In the study, Professor Ichiro Tsuji and a student, Toshimasa Sone  of the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine conducted a questionnaire survey in 1994 on 43,391 healthy adults between 40 and 79 years of age, living in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

Subjects were asked if they had something to live for or motivations in life, and chose their answer from three choices: “Yes,” “Uncertain,” and “No.” The subjects were then followed up for seven years, during which 3,048 deaths were confirmed.

Causes of death include 1,100 cases of cancer, 971 cases of cardiovascular disease (ischemic heart diseases: 207; cerebrovascular disease: 479), 241 cases of pneumonia, and 90 cases of suicide. All-cause mortality risk was found to increase 1.5 times in those who replied “No” compared to those responding “Yes” to the question.

By cause of death, the risk of death increased 1.6 times for cardiovascular diseases, 2.1 times for cerebrovascular diseases, and 1.8 times for pneumonia. On the other hand, no association was confirmed between the risk of dying from cancer and sense of life worth living (ikigai).

The study has also found that the association between sense of life worth living (ikigai) and mortality risk are viewed independently from socioeconomic factors, lifestyle and habits, psychological factors, physical functions, and history of illness.

The results were presented by the graduate student at the General Assembly of the Japan Epidemiological Association on January 26th and appeared in the February 12th 2007 issue of the Yomiuri Shimbun, a major Japanese newspaper. 　

Related Information

Prof. Ichiro Tsuji

Back

Contact:

Toshimasa Sone

Division of Epidemiology,

Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine,

Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine 　　

Tel：+81-22-717-8122