Chinese experts from the hospital at Sichuan University have identified a relationship between the frequency of communication of older people and their life expectancy. The results of the study are published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
The authors analyzed data from more than 28,000 participants with an average age of 89 years, collected between 2002 and 2019. The subjects were asked about how regularly they participate in social activities: almost every day; at least once a week; once a month; periodically and never.
Information was also collected on potentially influencing factors, including gender, education, marital status, income, fruit and vegetable consumption, lifestyle, and health status.
Survival was studied for a median of five years or until death. In the first five years, 25,406 people declared that they were not engaged in any social activity; 1379 reported doing so occasionally; 693 – at least once a month; 553 – at least once a week; and 532 almost daily. Over the entire study period, 21,161 (74 percent) subjects died, 15,728 of whom died within the first five years.
The results showed that more regular social activity was associated with a significant increase in life expectancy. The higher the frequency, the greater the likelihood of longevity. The time of death was 42 percent more likely to occur later for those who communicated occasionally, 48 percent for those who communicated monthly, 110 percent for those who did it weekly, and 87 percent for those who did. this is almost every day, compared to those who said that they practically do not communicate with anyone.
When the data was further adjusted for age, the correlation between social activity and life expectancy became even more clear.