Abstract
This The purpose of this study is to evaluate user satisfaction with village bathhouses, selected from a two-year pilot project of common facilities for senior in rural areas from 2014 to 2015. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire to evaluate user satisfaction, and 135 questionnaires were collected from 18 common meal facilities. User satisfaction was evaluated in five categories with a five-point scale: location and spatial composition; emotions and intimacy; safety; nutrition; and maintenance and management. The results are as follows. First, when overall user satisfaction was evaluated on a five-point scale, the average score stood at 4.24 out of five points and 90.03 out of 100 points. These findings suggest that users were generally satisfied with the common meal facilities. Among five categories, scores except safety stood at four points or higher, indicating higher user satisfaction. Second, communal meal in rural areas have been carried out already but the environment for communal meal like cooking equipment, wastewater disposal, and space have been poor. However, the environment is improved through this pilot project, which has a positive effect to user satisfaction. Third, space planning for barrier-free or sanitary in storage of food containers are not adequate, which is necessary to detailed planning and concrete guideline.
