Study finds elderly engaging in regular social activities enjoy longer lives

Statistics from a study conducted as part of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) by the West China Hospital in Sichuan province highlight that elderly individuals who engage in frequent social activities tend to enjoy longer lives.

The research encompassed nearly 30,000 elderly participants, with a median age of 89. Researchers classified them into five groups based on their social activity frequency: those engaging almost daily, once a week or more, once a month or more, occasionally, and those who never participated in social activities.

The findings of the study revealed a notable trend: as the frequency of social interactions declined from "almost daily" to "never," the all-cause mortality risk, indicating the likelihood of passing away from any cause, increased.

Within the first five years, the elderly individuals who engaged in more frequent social activities were observed to have longer lifespans. However, after the initial five-year period, a threshold effect became apparent between the frequency of social interactions and overall lifespan. Only elderly individuals who participated in social activities nearly every day experienced a prolonged lifetime.

Researchers suggest that regular involvement in social activities may motivate individuals to maintain healthier lifestyles, shedding unhealthy habits, and becoming more physically active while reducing sedentary behavior. This, in turn, can play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

These statistics were previously published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, a global publication specializing in socioeconomic determinants of health and population-level interventions, in May.