Main to remember
- Socially committed seniors live longer
- Elderly people with high or average social commitment are 42% and 47% less likely to die than solitary
- Volunteer or charity work has provided the greatest protection against death
Friday, May 23, 2025 (Healthday News) – The elderly who remain socially engaged are much more likely to have a longer life, indicates a new study.
Social commitment to the elderly is associated with a lower risk of death, compared to the elderly who are lonely, according to the results published on May 21 Journal of the American Gériatrics Society.
Such a social commitment includes interaction with others, participation in sports groups or hobbies or does charity work, researchers said.
“Staying socially active is more than a lifestyle choice. He is closely linked to healthier aging and longevity ”, principal researcher Dr Ashraf AbugrounAn assistant professor at the University of California – San Francisco, said in a press release.
For the study, the researchers followed nearly 2,300 Americans aged 60 and over participating in a current study on health and retirement. The participants all came from the 2016 wave of the study.
As part of the project, participants fulfilled questionnaires who follow their way of life, including their social activities.
The researchers divided the elderly into three groups according to whether they had a high social commitment, moderate or weak, then analyzed if their sociability had an impact on their health or their longevity.
The results have shown that high and moderate social engagement have both reduced the risk of death, by 42% and 47%, compared to low sociability.
Specific types of social commitment have predicted a reduced risk of dying, in particular:
- 51% lower risk of volunteer work or charity.
- 28% risk lower than participation in social or sports clubs.
- Risk of 18% lower if the elderly played with their grandchildren.
Staying social seems to slow the biological aging of a person, have said the researchers. It also promotes more physical activity in the elderly, which gives them an increase in health.
“These results underline how participation in community life contributes to better health in the elderly,” said Abugroun.
More information
The National Institute of Aging has more on Stay social during aging.
Source: Wiley, press release, May 21, 2025
What it means for you
The elderly should try to find social activities they like, because staying connected can help them live longer.