Elderly 'social cows' live longer
2023-11-02
Recently, scholars from West China Hospital published the latest research data from the China Longitudinal Health and Longevity Survey (CLHLS), which shows that elderly people participate in social activities more, especially socializing every day, resulting in longer lifespans. Researchers included nearly 30000 elderly people in a prospective cohort study of CLHLS, with a median age of 89 years. According to the frequency of social activities, it can be divided into 5 categories: almost daily, ≥ once a week, ≥ once a month, occasionally, and never. The results showed that as the social frequency increased from "almost daily" to "never social", the total mortality rates for each group were 7.4%, 9.0%, 9.1%, 9.3%, and 17.2%, respectively. Research has found that older adults who participate more frequently in social activities have a longer overall survival time compared to those who never participate in social activities. Compared to those who never participate in social activities, elderly people who occasionally participate in social activities have a 71% longer overall survival. Those who engage in social activities at least once a month have an 85% longer survival, those who engage in social activities at least once a week have a 158% longer survival, while those who engage in social activities almost every day have a significant 248% longer survival. During the first 5 years of follow-up, the more frequent social activities, the longer the survival time. However, after a 5-year follow-up, there was a threshold effect between social activity frequency and total survival time. Only elderly people who participated in social activities almost every day had an extended survival time, which was approximately 204%. Researchers believe that regularly going out and participating in social activities may encourage individuals to maintain healthier lifestyle behaviors and abandon unhealthy habits such as less activity and prolonged sitting, which are beneficial for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Wen/Yang Jingang (Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences) (Xinhua News Agency)
Edit:GuoGuo Responsible editor:FangZhiYou
Source:gmw.cn
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