Escalation on Kihon Checklist Scores Preceding the Certification of Long-Term Care Need in the Older Population in Japan. A 9-Year Retrospective Study

Kazuki Kitazawa; Kenji Tsuchiya; Kazuki Hirao; Tomomi Furukawa; Fusae Tozato; Tsutomu Iwaya; Shinichi Mitsui

doi:10.1177/23333928241247027

Escalation on Kihon Checklist Scores Preceding the Certification of Long-Term Care Need in the Older Population in Japan. A 9-Year Retrospective Study

Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol. 2024 Apr 24:11:23333928241247027. doi: 10.1177/23333928241247027. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Kazuki Kitazawa^{1

2}, Kenji Tsuchiya¹, Kazuki Hirao², Tomomi Furukawa¹, Fusae Tozato¹, Tsutomu Iwaya¹, Shinichi Mitsui²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nagano University of Health and Medicine, Nagano, Japan.
² Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Maebashi, Japan.

Abstract

Objectives: The Kihon Checklist (KCL) is valuable for predicting long-term care (LTC) certification. However, the precise association between KCL scores and the temporal dynamics of LTC need certification remains unclear. This study clarified the characteristic trajectory of KCL scores in individuals certified for LTC need.

Methods: The KCL scores spanning from 2011 to 2019 were obtained from 5630 older individuals, including those certified for LTC need in November 2020, in Iiyama City, Nagano, Japan. We analyzed the KCL score trajectories using a linear mixed model, both before and after propensity score matching.

Results: Throughout the 9-year observation period, the KCL scores consistently remained higher in the certified group compared to the non-certified group. Notably, a significant score increase occurred within the 3 years preceding LTC certification.

Discussion: Our findings highlight the effectiveness of continuous surveillance using the KCL in identifying individuals likely to require LTC within a few years.

Keywords: Kihon checklist; logistic multiple regression analysis; long-term care certification; physical strength; retrospective study; self-administered questionnaire.