Optimistic women are more likely to live longer, says a Harvard study

Research with over 159,000 participants suggests that having a positive outlook increases your chances of living beyond 90 by 10%.

A study conducted by researchers from the Harvard Universitywe United States, suggests that women who say they are more optimistic are more likely to live longer. The research, published in the scientific journal of the American Geriatrics Society in June, analyzed data and responses from 159,255 women, all in the period of menopause.

Participants answered questions about their health, provided demographic information, and completed an optimism questionnaire. To evaluate the responses, the researchers used analytical models that created associations between optimism responses and daily habits that lead to longer life expectancy.

The results showed that 25% of participants who showed a higher level of optimism may have a 5.4% longer life expectancy than the rest of the group and 10% more likely to live beyond 90 years compared to the group. less optimistic women.

The researchers say they found no relationship between optimism, race and ethnicity, and that lifestyle factors such as regular exercise and healthy eating have not been shown to have the expected relevance.

Both behaviors, they say, accounted for less than a quarter of the association between optimism and life expectancy, leading the study leaders to believe that other factors contribute to this relationship.

The study concluded that greater optimism is associated with a longer lifespan and a greater likelihood of achieving exceptional longevity overall and that the lifestyle contribution to these associations “was modest”.

“Optimism can promote health and longevity in diverse racial and ethnic groups. Future research should study these associations in short-lived populations,” the researchers wrote in the published paper.

Hayami Koga, author of the research, says the findings indicate that focusing on positive psychological factors, such as optimism, should be considered strategies to promote longevity and healthy aging.

“We tend to focus on the negative risk factors that affect our health,” Koga said. “It is also important to think about positive resources, such as optimism, which can be beneficial to our health, especially if we realize that these benefits are seen in all racial and ethnic groups.”

Source: Terra

Benjamin

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