Society ages more slowly

A healthy diet, enough sleep, exercise... These are tips that, if followed, not only contribute to a healthier lifestyle, but can also result in an increase in life expectancy, i.e. a generally better state of health in old age. One factor is often forgotten: the importance of social ties.

And that interaction often declines in old age. Many people find it increasingly difficult to get to know other people, that is, to establish new contacts.

Social interaction is important for mental health, and as a new study from Japan shows, it can affect the quality of life in old age, that is, a healthy life in later years.

What does the Japanese study say?

Japan is the country whose society, compared to the rest of the world, is aging the fastest. More than 36 million people in Japan are over 65 years old. That is twice as much as in Germany.

In Japan, researchers in Osaka analyzed data from people over the age of 65 for five years. They took into account various factors that affect a healthy life in old age.

A study conducted by the Osaka Metropolitan University shows all the ways in which the onset of the process that experts call "senile frailty" can be delayed.

In doing so, the members of the research team used the data of those persons in need of care, who were in the "lighter cases" category. They analyzed their senile frailty over a period of five years.

A part of these people agreed to participate in the social activities that were offered. The second part had one personal assistant at their disposal, i.e. a person who visited them at home and helped them with their daily tasks.

Result: personal assistants did not influence the stage of senile frailty, nor could they influence the "postponement" of the beginning of that process. At the same time, social activities in the community reduced the risk of senility by up to 40 percent.

The research team therefore advises that older people participate in joint activities outside their home, instead of staying at home. Services in which personal assistants operate are an important offer and help in everyday life, but group activities have a positive effect on people's health, scientists emphasize.

Health in the old days

As early as 2021, an analysis of the same data showed that social participation has a positive effect on healthy aging. And the positive effects can be realized in various ways through participation in community life - from activities in the neighborhood, through volunteering, to practicing various hobbies.

It is a fact that social contacts have a great influence on our health. A London long-term study showed that increased social contacts in the over-60 age group can delay the onset of dementia and even prevent it. Long-term loneliness can make people sick, and not only in old age.

Cornelia Mahler, an expert in the care sector at the University of Tübingen, emphasizes: "Especially for the elderly, it is important to have some reason to leave their home, to go out."

There are, of course, other explanations: those who leave their homes to socialize with other people, or people who visit health facilities, simply move more. The same applies to visiting friends, engaging in volunteer activities or a hobby. More movement has a positive effect on health.