A new research by the University of Georgia has provided new clues on surviving to be 100 years old, finding that how we feel about ourselves and our ability to adapt to an accumulation of challenging life experiences may be as or more important than health factors.
Researchers used information collected as part of the Georgia Centenarian Study, one of only two centenarian studies in the country, to measure psychological and social factors in addition to genetics and health of so-called expert survivors.
Living to 100
Two hundred forty-four people aged 100 years or older were studied between 2001 and 2009. The research found that critical life events and personal history, along with how people adapt to stressful situations and cope with them are essential to explaining successful aging.
"Understanding health in these terms has huge implications for quality of life," said Leonard Poon, director of the Institute of Gerontology in the UGA College of Public Health and lead author of the study.
"What is happening to you matters, but more importantly, it is your perception of what is happening to you that is really important for your individual health," he added.
Living to 100
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