Tag : Optimal

Toronto (Canada): Researchers found higher levels of social participation were associated with successful ageing in later life. They discovered that those who participated in volunteer work and recreational activities were more likely to maintain excellent health over the course of the three-year study and were less likely to develop physical, cognitive, mental, or emotional problems. The study was published in 'The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.' Successful ageing was defined by the researchers as the absence of any serious physical, cognitive, mental, or emotional conditions that interfere with daily activities, as well as high levels of self-reported happiness, good physical health, and mental health. At the start of the study, the researchers only included participants who were successfully ageing. The goal was to see if social participation was related to the likelihood of maintaining excellent health. Approximately 72% of these respondents who participated in volunteer or recreational activities at the start of the study were still ageing successfully three years later. However, only two-thirds of those who were not participating in these activities were ageing successfully at the end of the study. After taking into account a wide range of sociodemographic characteristics, the findings indicated that respondents who participated in recreational activities and volunteer or charity work were 15% and 17% more likely to maintain excellent health across the study, respectively. "Although the study's observational nature prohibits the determination of causality, it makes intuitive sense that social activity is associated with successful ageing," says first author, Mabel Ho, a doctoral candidate at th ...