Yuimaru and the Care Provided to the Elderly People in Okinawa

本研究的目的是确定一般公众对冲绳方言yuimaru的看法，即在紧密联系的社区中与他人互动所获得的互利，以及为冲绳的老年人提供的护理。调查对象是居住在冲绳5个农村社区（包括一座孤岛）的4,161名40岁至79岁的居民。在接受调查的人中，有1 354人（32.5%）回答了问卷。在每个社区中，约有85%的人认为“夕丸”是一种积极的形象，约有60%的人认为“夕丸”是一种互相帮助的形象。在回答“夕丸”如何最好地发挥照顾作用的问题时，“愿意关心老年人”的回答最多，其次是“打扫花园”、“为老年人购物”、“开车送老人”、“照顾老人”、“照顾老人”、“、”照顾老人“等。“和“做饭和送饭。“平均有20%的人回答说，yuimaru在照顾方面是有效的。对yuimaru的肯定回答最多的是Ogimi村的居民（33.7%），其次是Gushikami村（19.8%），Zamami村（19.2%），Sashiki镇（14.2%）和Nakagusuku村（8.2%）。此外，在提供护理时，从邻居那里得到帮助和帮助的人最多的是荻见村。总之，与其他四个地区相比，荻见村是以长寿而闻名的地方，是yuimaru在社区护理支持方面最有效的社区。

The purpose of this study was to determine the perception of the general public concerning yuimaru, Okinawan dialect for the mutual benefit gained by interaction with others in a closely-knit community, and the care provided to the elderly people in Okinawa. The survey was conducted on 4,161 randomly selected people ranged from 40 to 79 years old resided in 5 rural communities in Okinawa, including an isolated island. Of those people who received surveys, 1,354 (32.5%) responded to the questionnaire. In each communities, approximately 85% reported a positive image of yuimaru, and approximately 60% associated yuimaru with a perception of helping each other.In responses to the question of how yuimaru works best in care giving, "willingness to show concern for the aged" was reported most frequently, followed by "cleaning a garden, " "shopping for the elderly, " "giving a ride, " and "cooking and delivering meals." On the average 20% of persons answered yuimaru was effective in care giving. The greatest percentage of affirmative responses about yuimaru was reported by the residents in Ogimi village (33.7%), followed by Gushikami village (19.8%), Zamami village (19.2%), Sashiki town (14.2%), and Nakagusuku village (8.2%). Furthermore, Ogimi had the highest number of persons who experienced giving and receiving support from the neighbors when care giving.In conclusion, Ogimi village, renowned as a place with exceptional longevity, was the community where yuimaru worked most effectively for the community care support in comparison with other four areas.