Mobile:

iPhone

Android

Web

HEALTH

PHYSICAL/TECH

Latest Headlines

Health & Medicine

Featured Research

Follow:

Facebook

ENVIRONMENT
Mind & Brain

Twitter

Google+

SOCIETY/EDUCATION

Space & Time

Matter & Energy

Subscribe:
QUIRKY

Computers & Math

Sense of meaning and purpose in life linked to longer lifespan

Date: November 6, 2014

Email Newsletters

Enter keyword or phrase ...

Plants & Animals

from universities, journals, and other organizations

RSS Feeds

Earth & Climate

Save/Print:

Share:

Search
Fossils & Ruins

Breaking News:
Comet Flyby Effects On Martian Atmosphere

Share This

Source: University College London

Summary: A study of 9,050 English people with an average age of 65 found that
the people with the greatest well-being were 30 percent less likely to die
during the average eight and a half year follow-up period than those with
the least well-being.

Email to a friend

Facebook

Twitter
LinkedIn
Google+
Print this page

Related Topics

open in browser PRO version

Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

pdfcrowd.com

Related Topics
Mind & Brain
Mental Health
Social Psychology
K-12 Education

Related Stories

Science & Society

Having a Sense of Purpose

May Add Years to Your Life

Poverty and Learning

Public Health

May 12, 2014 Feeling that you

have a sense of purpose in life may
help you live longer, no matter what
your age, according to new research.
The research has clear implications for promoting
positive aging and ... full story

STEM Education

Alcohol Intoxication and Stroke Risk

Factors for Young-Onset Dementia
A UCL-led study of 9,050 English people with an average age of 65 found that the
people with the greatest wellbeing were 30% less likely to die during the average
eight and a half year follow-up period than those with the least wellbeing. (stock
image)
Credit: Martinan / Fotolia

[Click to enlarge image]

UCL-led study of 9,050 English people with an average age of 65 found

that the people with the greatest wellbeing were 30% less likely to die
during the average eight and a half year follow-up period than those
with the least wellbeing.
The study, published in The Lancet as part of a special
series on ageing, was conducted by researchers from
UCL, Princeton University and Stony Brook University.
It used questionnaire answers to measure a type of
wellbeing called 'eudemonic wellbeing', which relates to
your sense of control, feeling that what you do is
worthwhile, and your sense of purpose in life. People
were divided into four categories based on their
answers, ranked from highest wellbeing to lowest
wellbeing.

Related Articles
Religion
Air pollution
Left-handed
Water scarcity
Antarctica
Love

The results were adjusted for age, sex, socio-economic

status, physical health, depression, smoking, physical
activity and alcohol intake, to rule out as many factors as possible that could influence

open in browser PRO version

Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

Aug. 13, 2013 Nine different factors can increase

the risk of developing dementia before age 65,
according to new ... full story

Pre-Teen Literacy a Strong Predictor of

Pregnancy in U.S. Teens
Oct. 31, 2012 New research builds on previous
knowledge about the link between teen pregnancy
and social inequities internationally and suggests
that, independent of other factors, low literacy in
pre-teen girls ... full story

Heavy Drinking May Lead to Stroke Earlier

in Life
Sep. 10, 2012 A new study shows that people
who have three or more alcoholic drinks per day
may be at higher risk for experiencing a stroke
almost a decade and a half earlier in life than those
who do not drink ... full story

Women Are Starting Families Later in Life

Because They Are Spending Longer in
Education
Sep. 10, 2012 A new study has shown that
women are having children later in life mainly
because they are spending longer in ... full story

pdfcrowd.com

both health and wellbeing. For example, terminal illnesses could reduce both wellbeing
and life expectancy.

more related stories

Over the next eight and a half years, 9% of people in the highest wellbeing category
had died, compared with 29% in the lowest category. Once all the other factors had
been taken into account, people with the highest wellbeing were 30% less likely to die
over the study period, living on average two years longer than those in the lowest
wellbeing group.
"We have previously found that happiness is associated with a lower risk of death,"
says Professor Andrew Steptoe, Director of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and
Health Care, who led the study. "These analyses show that the meaningfulness and
sense of purpose that older people have in their lives are also related to survival. We
cannot be sure that higher wellbeing necessarily causes lower risk of death, since the
relationship may not be causal. But the findings raise the intriguing possibility that
increasing wellbeing could help to improve physical health. There are several biological
mechanisms that may link wellbeing to improved health, for example through hormonal
changes or reduced blood pressure. Further research is now needed to see if such
changes might contribute to the links between wellbeing and life expectancy in older
people."
As part of the Lancet paper, the researchers also examined data on 'evaluative
wellbeing', a measure of life satisfaction, and 'hedonic wellbeing', related to feelings of
happiness, sadness, anger, stress and pain. International data from the Gallup World
Poll confirmed that in high-income English speaking countries, life satisfaction dips
around middle age and rises in older age, but the pattern varied across the world.
In the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, older residents reported
very low rankings of life satisfaction compared with younger residents in those regions.
This same pattern is seen in Latin America and Caribbean countries, though life
satisfaction does not decrease as sharply as in the Eastern European countries. And
in sub-Saharan Africa, life satisfaction is very low at all ages.
"Economic theory can predict a dip in wellbeing among the middle age in high-income,
English-speaking countries," says co-author Professor Angus Deaton of Princeton
University. "This is the period at which wage rates typically peak and is the best time
to work and earn the most, even at the expense of present well-being, so as to have
increased wealth and well-being later in life. What is interesting is that this pattern is
not universal. Other regions, like the former Soviet Union, have been affected by the
collapse of communism and other systems. Such events have affected the elderly who
have lost a system that, however imperfect, gave meaning to their lives, and, in some
cases, their pensions and health care."

open in browser PRO version

Strange & Offbeat Stories

Health & Medicine
Body Weight Heavily Influenced by Gut Microbes:
Genes Shape Body Weight by Affecting Gut
Microbes
Images of a Nearly Invisible Mouse
All Kidding Aside: Medical Clowns Calm Children
During Uncomfortable Allergy Test
Having a Y Chromosome Doesn't Affect Women's
Response to Sexual Images, Brain Study Shows
The Female Nose Always Knows: Do Women
Have More Olfactory Neurons?

Mind & Brain

Ghost Illusion Created in the Lab
For Leaders, Looking Intelligent Is Less Important
Than Looking Healthy

Story Source:

Direct Brain Interface Between Humans

The above story is based on materials provided by University College London. Note:
Materials may be edited for content and length.

This Just In: Political Correctness Pumps Up

Productivity on the Job
Neuroscience of Choking Under Pressure: New
Insight

Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

pdfcrowd.com

Journal Reference:
1. Andrew Steptoe, Angus Deaton, Arthur A Stone. Subjective wellbeing, health,
and ageing. The Lancet, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61489-0

APA

Living & Well

Election Day: The Saddest Day of the Year?
Dance Choreography Improves Girls'
Computational Skills

Cite This Page:

MLA

Insight

Chicago

University College London. "Sense of meaning and purpose in life linked to longer
lifespan." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 November 2014.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141106211618.htm>.

New Tech Aims to Improve Communication

Between Dogs, Humans
Liberal or Conservative? Reactions to Disgust Are
a Dead Giveaway
Prostate Cancer Risk Reduced by Sleeping With
Many Women, but Increased With Many Men,
Study Finds

Share This
Email to a friend

Facebook

Twitter
LinkedIn
Google+
Print this page

In Other News

... from NewsDaily.com

Science News
U.S. OKs genetically modified potato with lower
cancer risk
Acoustic warfare: bats jam each other's sonar
while bug hunting
Passing comet peppered Mars with shooting
stars, scientists say
Scientist hopes to unlock Ebola's secrets at
outbreak's source
UK space travel insurer sees no spike in queries
after Virgin crash

Health News
Nurse who fought Maine Ebola quarantine moving
out of state: report

More From ScienceDaily

Liberia rights commission calls for compensation

open in browser PRO version

Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

pdfcrowd.com

 Liberia rights commission calls for compensation

for Ebola quarantine shooting
Dallas marks Ebola end with relief, 'selfies' with
President Bush
Ebola death toll rises to 4,950 WHO

Cinema-like environment Global boom in

helps audiences become hydropower expected
...
this decade

Intense heat causes

health problems among
...

Compensation and
punishment: 'Justice'
depends ...

Supreme Court to hear Obamacare subsidies

case

Environment News
Philippines remembers thousands killed a year
after typhoon Haiyan
Nevada earthquake swarm increases chance of
larger quake

Native American
populations descend
from three ...

Generosity leads to
evolutionary success ...

Liberal or conservative?
Reactions to disgust ...

More Mind & Brain News

Beyond LOL cats, social

networks could become
...
Sunday, November 9, 2014

Featured Research

from universities, journals, and other organizations

Brain's Response to Threat Silenced

When We Are Reminded of Being Loved
and Cared for

Love Softens Brain's Response to Threat

Nov. 7, 2014 Being shown pictures of others being

loved and cared for reduces the brain's response to
threat, new research has found. The study discovered
that when individuals are briefly presented pictures of
... full story

Denying Problems When We Dislike the Solutions

Psychology; Brain Injury; Neuroscience; Intelligence

Ghost Illusion Created in the Lab

Actions Versus Objects: Role of Motor System

Sense of Purpose in Life Linked to Longer Life
Scientists Create Parkinson's Disease in a Dish
Human Neuron Transplants Reduce Seizures in Mice
New Knowledge About Human Brain's Plasticity

Don't cave in on climate policy, Senate leaders

urge Obama
After spoiled butterfly bash, Oklahoma town tries
to aid monarchs
The 'Catatumbo Lightning': Venezuela's eternal
storm

Technology News
Unclear if China ready to sign IT agreement: WTO
chief
Exclusive: Lyft board members discussed
replacing CEO, court documents reveal
Uber looks to pick up another $1 billion in equity:
FT
AT&T to acquire Mexico's Iusacell for $1.7 billion
GT Advanced says fell victim to 'bait-and-switch'
by Apple

Nasal Spray for Migraine Pain Relief?

Parkinson's Hope: Transplant of Dopamine Neurons

Save/Print:

Share:

newer top stories | older top stories

Featured Videos

open in browser PRO version

from AP, Reuters, AFP, and other news services

Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

pdfcrowd.com

How Your Age And

Where You Live Impact
Your Happiness

Toddler Can Name

Every Organ In The
Body

Jerry Seinfeld Reveals

He's On Autism
Spectrum

Search ScienceDaily

Harvard Students
Stumped by Literacy
Test

Number of stories in archives: 140,361

Search

Find with k eyword(s):

Enter a keyword or phrase to search ScienceDaily for related topics
and research stories.

Free Subscriptions

Get Social & Mobile

Have Feedback?

Get the latest science news with ScienceDaily's free

email newsletters, updated daily and weekly. Or view
hourly updated newsfeeds in your RSS reader:

Keep up to date with the latest news from ScienceDaily

via social networks and mobile apps:
Facebook

iPhone

Tell us what you think of ScienceDaily -- we

welcome both positive and negative comments.
Have any problems using the site? Questions?

Email Newsletters

Twitter

Android

Leave Feedback

RSS Feeds

Google+

Web

Contact Us

About ScienceDaily | Editorial Staff | Awards & Reviews | Contribute | Advertise | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
Copyright 2014 by ScienceDaily, LLC or by third-party sources, where indicated. All rights controlled by their respective owners.
Content on this website is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical or other professional advice.
Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily, its staff, its contributors, or its partners.

open in browser PRO version

Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

pdfcrowd.com