BACKGROUND: Prospective data on nongenetic determinants of exceptional longevity are limited, and information on long-lived men and their functional status is particularly sparse. We examined modifiable factors associated with a life span of 90 or more years and late-life function in men. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study of 2357 healthy men (mean age, 72 years) within the Physicians' Health Study (1981-2006), biological and lifestyle factors and comorbid conditions were assessed by self-report with baseline and annual questionnaires.
OBJECTIVES: We investigated the characteristics of the oldest old in China and examined whether the factors associated with longevity varied with advanced age. METHODS: Drawing from the largest nationally representative longitudinal sample of oldest-old adults, we stratified descriptive statistics separately by gender and urban-rural residence and then used ordered logit models to examine the multivariate factors associated with increasing age-group membership.
Health Psychology: Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association
Good health has become more than a means to personal goals such as greater attractiveness and increased longevity. It symbolizes self-control, hard work, ambition, and success in life. Inherent in this symbolism is the concept that the individual controls behavior, which in turn controls health. Although control over one's life plays an important role in both physical and mental health, the concept of personal control also infers responsibility.
Since the release of the Surgeon General's report, Healthy People, the general public has been barraged with health information and advice by the popular media. Accordingly, this article introduces a method for examining the public's beliefs about the importance of behavioral risk factors associated with health and longevity. The factorial survey approach--a technique appropriate for studying normative beliefs--seems uniquely suited to measuring the degree of public consensus regarding complex social phenomena.
BACKGROUND: Although increasing emphasis is being placed on strategies for successful aging, few studies have examined the relationship between lifestyle factors and mortality and other health outcomes in the old-old population. OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of physical activity, dietary habits, smoking, and alcohol consumption on 3-year mortality and other health outcomes. METHODS: 2,032 Chinese subjects aged 70 years and older (mean age 80 years) were recruited territorywide by proportional random sampling and followed for 3 years.
PURPOSE: Prevalence estimates of healthy behaviors and preventive care among older adults have not received sufficient attention, despite important health benefits such as longevity and better quality of life. Moreover, little is known about general population prevalences of older adults' efforts to change behavior, motivations to improve health behaviors, and perceived barriers to change.
