ABSTRACT

The importance of conducting international comparisons on datafrom aging studies has been increasing with population agingthroughout the world. Many of the existing international studieshave used the methods of comparing data gathered in differentcountries by using questionnaires and scales developed in onecountry and translated into another language. This study intends toconduct cross-cultural research in a way that researchers fromseveral different countries participating in this study exchange theresults of their own study based on the same research protocolwith a common theme and concept and examine them together. Webelieve that by utilizing these methods, we will be able to comparethe characteristics of each country and commonality between thesedifferent countries. Researchers from six countries, including Japan,Korea, China, USA, Turkey, and Germany, will be participating inthis study. Currently, we are conducting a pilot study in Japanwith a theme of “health” on a sample of the young-old who arebetween 65 and 74 years old. We will create a protocol for theresearchers, indicating the study procedure and qualitative andquantitative data gathering methods, based on the results of thepilot study, and proceed with the study.