Centre for Policy on Ageing



Longevity of screenwriters who win an academy award — longitudinal study
Author(s)	Donald A Redelmeier, Sheldon M Singh
Journal title	British Medical Journal, vol 323, no 7327, 22 December 2001
Pages	pp 1491-1495
Keywords	Longevity ; Writing ; Cinema [media] ; Students ; Longitudinal surveys.
Annotation	Many studies have shown that high occupational achievement is related to better health. The present study aimed to determine whether the link between high success and longevity extends to academy award winning screenwriters. A total of 850 writers had ever been nominated; the median duration of follow-up from birth was 68 years, and 428 writers had died. On average, winners were more successful than nominees, as indicated by a 14% longer career, 34% more total films, and 62% more nominations. However, life expectancy was 3.6 years shorter for winners than for nominees (74.1 vs 77.7 years), equivalent to a 37% relative increase in death rates. Additional wins were associated with a relative 22% increase in death rates. Additional nominations and additional other films in a career otherwise cause no significant increase in death rates. This paradox may reflect writers' unusual lifestyles, where success is not linked to exemplary conduct or control: it underscores the importance of behaviour. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-020109201 A
Classmark	BGA: HKP: UL: XN: 3J *
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing

...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.