This study focuses on “frailty” among the elderly and explores its association with social background. We will conduct a field survey and qualitative interviews in Japan and Thailand to examine the multiple aspects of frailty, including mental health and nutritional status. We expect to identify options for care prevention in line with the regionally specific characteristics of frailty.

This study explore the relations between dietary changes and lifestyle diseases in Himalayan highlands. As a social background, the increase in lifestyle-related diseases is becoming one of the most serious health problems worldwide. Especially, in developing countries, health systems and medical resources are not yet adequate so it is very important to address health problems through daily diet. The aim of this study is to evaluate these diseases and their background through examining dietary habits and suggest possible interventions for their prevention. The field site is 3 different place in Ladakh, town, farming village, and nomadic plateau. This study is designed with a new research methodology, “field nutrition,” a research combination comprised of nutritional assessment and cultural anthropology. For nutritional assessment this projects uses a newly developed tool; 11-item Food Diversity Score Kyoto (FDSK-11) which is applied in addition to a basic nutritional assessment.