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Population based study of social and productive activities as predictors of survival among elderly Americans

BMJ 1999; 319 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.319.7208.478 (Published 21 August 1999) Cite this as: BMJ 1999;319:478
  1. Thomas A Glass, assistant professor (tglass{at}hsph.harvard.edu)a,
  2. Carlos Mendes de Leon, associate professorb,
  3. Richard A Marottoli, associate professorc,
  4. Lisa F Berkman, professor and chaira
  1. a Harvard University School of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Behavior, Boston, MA 02115, United States
  2. b Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush-Presbyterian-St Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
  3. c Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, DC 023, New Haven, CT 06504, United States
  1. Correspondence to: TA Glass
  • Accepted 20 May 1999

Abstract

Objectives: To examine any association between social, productive, and physical activity and 13 year survival in older people.

Design: Prospective cohort study with annual mortality follow up. Activity and other measures were assessed by structured interviews at baseline in the participants' homes Proportional hazards models were used to model survival from time of initial interview.

Setting: City of New Haven, Connecticut, United States.

Participants: 2761 men and women from a random population sample of 2812 people aged 65 and older.

Main outcome measure: Mortality from all causes during 13 years of follow up.

Results: All three types of activity were independently associated with survival after age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, income, body mass index, smoking, functional disability, and history of cancer, diabetes, stroke, and myocardial infarction were controlled for.

Conclusions: Social and productive activities that involve little or no enhancement of fitness lower the risk of all cause mortality as much as fitness activities do. This suggests that in addition to increased cardiopulmonary fitness, activity may confer survival benefits through psychosocial pathways. Social and productive activities that require less physical exertion may complement exercise programmes and may constitute alternative interventions for frail elderly people.

Key messages

  • Little is known about predictors of survival among elderly people

  • Physical activity is clearly good for health, but the potential benefits of social activities have not been studied

  • Social and productive activities are as effective as fitness activities in lowering the risk of death

  • Enhanced social activities may help to increase the quality and length of life

Footnotes

  • Funding Brookdale Foundation. Grants R01-AG-11042, R29-AG-10170 (FIRST award) and contract N01-AG-02105 from the National Institute on Aging.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Accepted 20 May 1999
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