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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Lifestyle, nutritional status, health and mortality in elderly people across Europe
— a review of the longitudinal results of the SENECA Study | | Author(s) | Lisette C P G M de Groot, Marieke W Verheijden, Stefaan de Henauw |
| Journal title | Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, vol 59A, no 12, December 2004 |
| Pages | pp 1277-1284 |
| Source | http://www.geron.org |
| Keywords | Nutrition ; Health [elderly] ; Social characteristics [elderly] ; Death rate [statistics] ; Longitudinal surveys ; Europe. |
| Annotation | The longitudinal Survey in Europe on Nutrition and the Elderly: a Concerted Action (SENECA) study was designed to assess differences in dietary and lifestyle factors in older Europeans, and to identify factors that contribute to healthy ageing. Older people from Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands participated in the study. Standardised measurements were conducted at baseline in 1988-1989 and repeated in 1993 and 1999. Diet, physical activity and smoking, as well as maintenance of health and survival, were assessed. At baseline, considerable differences in lifestyle factors existed among older people. Mealtime patterns as well as dietary intake varied across Europe, and geographical patterns were apparent. Similar results were found for engagement in sport or professional activities. Smoking prevalence among women was generally low. Distinct geographical differences were also observed in percentages of deaths during the study and in overall survival time. A healthy lifestyle was related to stable self-perceived health, a delay in functional dependence, and mortality. Inactivity and smoking, and to a lesser extent, a low-quality diet, increased mortality risk. A combined effect of multiple unhealthy lifestyle factors was also observed. The SENECA study showed that a healthy lifestyle at older ages is related to a delay in the deterioration of health status and a reduced mortality risk. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-050425209 A |
| Classmark | CF: CC: F: S5: 3J: 74 |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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