Yuimaru and the Care Provided to the Elderly People in Okinawa

本研究旨在了解冲绳民众对冲绳话、冲绳话、冲绳人与人之间的互动，以及对冲绳老人照顾的看法。这项调查随机选择了4161名年龄在40岁到79岁之间的人，他们居住在冲绳的5个农村社区，其中包括一个孤岛。在接受调查的人中，1354人(32.5%)回答了问卷。在每个社区中，大约85%的人表示对雨丸有积极的印象，大约60%的人认为雨丸是一种相互帮助的感觉。在回答雨丸如何最好地照顾老人的问题时，最多的受访者表示愿意关心老人，其次是“打扫花园”、“为老人购物”、“搭便车”和“做饭和送饭”。平均有20%的人回答说Yuimaru在照顾他人方面是有效的。Ogimi村的居民对yuimaru的肯定回答比例最高(33.7%)，其次是Gushikami村(19.8%)、Zamami村(19.2%)、Sashiki镇(14.2%)和Nakagusuku村(8.2%)。此外，Ogimi村在照顾时经历给予和接受邻居支持的人数最多。综上所述，Ogimi村以非凡的长寿著称，与其他四个地区相比，Ogimi村是Yuimaru最有效地提供社区照顾支持的社区。

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.