Does the Japan Science and Technology Agency Index of Competence (JST‐IC) Predict Mortality? Findings From the SONIC Study

Yukie Masui, Yuko Yoshida, Hiroki Inagaki, Yasuyuki Gondo, Takeshi Nakagawa, Saori Yasumoto, Madoka Ogawa, Yuri Miura, Kae Ito, Yasumichi Arai, Kazunori Ikebe, Kei Kamide, Takumi Hirata

Geriatrics and Gerontology International

Published online on May 27, 2026

Abstract

["Geriatrics &Gerontology International, Volume 26, Issue 6, June 2026. ", "\nA higher Japan Science and Technology Agency Index of Competence (JST‐IC) score—an index of higher‐level functional ability among older Japanese adults—was associated with a lower long‐term risk of all‐cause mortality, with significant associations observed across all age groups and among those in their 80s, but not among those in their 70s.\n"]