Positive view of aging makes people live 13 years longer

People live longer when they view aging as a developmental process, researchers at the University of Greifswald have now shown in their latest scientific publication: People who associate personal goals and plans with aging can expect to live 13 years longer than those without such goals. As part of their study, 2,400 participants in the German Ageing Survey, who were between 40 and 85 years old at the time, were surveyed in 1996 about their views on aging.

Over the next 23 years, we documented who died when (871 people in total). "We already knew from a US study by BR

Levy et al. from 2002, who also examined 660 people over a period of 23 years, found that people with a positive view of aging live seven years longer (publication). Our study now provides evidence on a larger scale and specifically for Germany that people who experience aging as a developmental process actually live 13 years longer," says Prof.

Dr. Susanne Wurm, Greifswald, head of the Department of Prevention Research and Social Medicine at the Institute of Community Medicine at the University of Greifswald. In contrast to the aforementioned US study, the Greifswald study also examined the diversity of age groups.

Not only was the role of generally positive images of aging examined for longevity, but also the different perspectives people have on aging with regard to individual areas of life were differentiated. This made it possible to compare which of these perspectives are actually significant for a long life. "Many people do not view aging solely as positive or negative.

Rather, they differentiate between different areas of life. We have now been able to show for the first time that those people who associate aging with personal development live longer—those who realize many ideas and plans and want to continue learning new things. It's remarkable that it's comparatively unimportant for a long life whether people associate aging with physical or social losses," says Wurm.

Co-author Dr. Sarah Schäfer, Greifswald, adds: "We know from many other studies which psychological and health-related factors contribute to longevity. We took these into account in our study to ensure that perceptions of aging can explain longevity beyond previously known factors.

And this is indeed the case." "The findings provide good evidence that we should, above all, support people in actively shaping their aging process. The archenemy of healthy aging turns out to be the attitude of limiting oneself because it's supposedly already too late for this plan or that activity.

People learn negative images of aging throughout their lives and therefore tend to apply these to themselves when they reach old age. This age-based self-discrimination needs to be broken," Wurm summarizes.