A Study on User Satisfaction of Village Bathhouses in Rural Areas - Focusing on Pilot Project of Common Facilities for Rural Seniors -

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate user satisfaction with village bathhouses, selected from a two-year pilot project of common facilities for seniors in rural areas from 2014 to 2015. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire to evaluate user satisfaction, and 96 questionnaires were collected from 10 village bathhouses. User satisfaction was evaluated in five categories with a five-point scale: location and spatial composition; emotions and intimacy; safety; hygiene and equipment; and maintenance and management. The results are as follows. First, scores on hygiene and equipment stood at four points or higher, indicating higher user satisfaction. However, scores on the other four categories were below four points. But when overall user satisfaction was evaluated on a five-point scale, the average score stood at 4.13out of five points and 89.5 out of 100 points. These findings suggest that users were generally satisfied with the bathhouses. Second, a comparison of bathing patterns from before and after bathhouse construction in villages revealed that 42.7% of residents had previously gone to neighboring villages to bathe. Local bathhouse construction led to an increase in overall bathing frequency, exerting a beneficial effect on hygiene. Third, general user satisfaction correlated more closely with items related to location and spatial composition than items of other categories, indicating that the architectural elements of the bathhouses have a major impact. Finally, access to a bathhouse at all times showed strong correlation with satisfaction levels, suggesting a need for the establishment of more bathhouses throughout rural areas.