Researchers studied over 30,000 Chinese people aged 80 and older for 20 years to understand what helps them live longer. They found that people who didn’t smoke, stayed physically active, ate healthy plant-based foods, and engaged in hobbies like reading, exercise, and socializing lived significantly longer than those who didn’t. People who combined healthy habits with enjoyable activities and felt satisfied with life lived about 18 months longer on average. This suggests that it’s never too late to improve your lifestyle and well-being to potentially add quality years to your life.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether healthy habits, enjoyable activities, and feeling good about life help very elderly people (80+) live longer
  • Who participated: 30,398 Chinese adults aged 80 years and older, followed from 1998 to 2018. About 71% passed away during the study period, allowing researchers to track survival times.
  • Key finding: People who maintained healthy habits (not smoking, not drinking excessively, exercising, eating plant-based foods), stayed engaged in hobbies, and felt satisfied with life lived about 18 months longer than those who didn’t have these habits
  • What it means for you: Even at age 80 and beyond, making positive lifestyle choices—like staying active, pursuing hobbies, and maintaining social connections—may help you live longer and healthier. However, this research shows association, not definitive proof that these habits cause longer life.

The Research Details

This was a long-term observation study called a cohort study, where researchers followed the same group of people over 20 years (1998-2018). Participants were interviewed about their lifestyles, hobbies, and how satisfied they felt with life. Researchers then tracked how long each person lived after age 80 and looked for patterns between their habits and survival.

The study measured four lifestyle factors: smoking status, drinking habits, physical activity level, and diet quality (focusing on plant-based foods). Researchers also looked at leisure activities in four categories: mental activities (like reading or games), physical activities (like exercise), productive activities (like gardening or crafts), and social activities (like visiting friends).

Finally, they assessed subjective well-being—basically, how happy and satisfied people felt with their lives. All this information was collected through structured interviews, meaning everyone was asked the same questions in the same way.

This research approach is valuable because it follows real people over a long time period, which helps show what actually happens in everyday life rather than in a controlled lab setting. By studying the oldest-old population (80+) in China specifically, the research fills a gap in knowledge about this age group in a non-Western population, which is important since most longevity research focuses on younger people or Western countries.

This study is fairly reliable because it involved a large number of participants (over 30,000) and tracked them for 20 years, which is a long time. The researchers used consistent interview methods and measured multiple factors together rather than just one. However, the study shows associations (things that happen together) rather than proving that one thing causes another. Additionally, because this is observational research, people who exercise and have hobbies might also have other healthy habits we don’t know about that could explain the longer life.

What the Results Show

The study found that each healthy habit was associated with living longer after age 80. Never smoking was linked to living about 4.2 months longer, never drinking excessively added 1.6 months, regular physical activity added 3.4 months, and eating a healthy plant-based diet added 2.2 months.

Engaging in leisure activities also mattered significantly. Physical activities like exercise were associated with the biggest benefit—about 8.7 months longer survival. Mental activities like reading or games added 3.2 months, social activities like visiting friends added 2.8 months, and productive activities like gardening added 2 months.

Feeling satisfied and happy with life (high subjective well-being) was associated with living about 5.4 months longer. When researchers combined all these factors, people who maintained at least three healthy lifestyle habits, engaged in at least one leisure activity, and felt satisfied with life lived approximately 18 months longer than those with unhealthy habits, no hobbies, and low life satisfaction.

This 18-month difference is substantial and suggests that the combination of healthy behaviors, engagement, and emotional well-being works together to support longer life in very elderly people.

The research showed that physical activity had the strongest individual association with longevity among leisure activities. This suggests that staying physically active may be particularly important for the oldest-old. The study also demonstrated that multiple factors working together (healthy lifestyle plus activities plus well-being) had a stronger effect than any single factor alone, suggesting that a comprehensive approach to healthy aging is beneficial.

This research aligns with previous studies showing that healthy habits extend life, but it’s one of the first to examine how lifestyle, leisure activities, and emotional well-being work together specifically in people over 80 in China. Most previous longevity research focused on younger populations or Western countries, so this study provides important information about the oldest-old in a different cultural and geographic context.

The study shows that these factors are associated with longer life but cannot prove that they cause longer life. People who exercise and have hobbies might also have better healthcare access, more money, or other advantages we didn’t measure. The study was conducted in China, so results may not apply equally to other countries with different healthcare systems and cultures. Additionally, because participants were interviewed only once or a few times, we don’t know if people maintained these habits throughout their lives or changed them over time.

The Bottom Line

For people aged 80 and older: Consider adopting or maintaining healthy habits like not smoking, limiting alcohol, staying physically active within your ability, and eating more plant-based foods (moderate to high confidence). Engage in activities you enjoy, whether mental (reading, puzzles), physical (walking, exercise), social (visiting friends, groups), or productive (gardening, crafts) (moderate to high confidence). Cultivate relationships and activities that bring you satisfaction and happiness (moderate confidence). These recommendations are based on associations found in research, not definitive proof.

This research is most relevant to people aged 80 and older, their families, and healthcare providers working with elderly populations. It’s particularly valuable for people in China and may apply to other Asian populations, though results may differ in other regions. Younger people can also benefit from understanding that these habits matter for long-term health. People with serious health conditions should consult their doctors before making major lifestyle changes.

Benefits from lifestyle changes may take months to years to fully appear. Some improvements in mood and energy from activities might happen within weeks, but survival benefits typically show up over longer periods. It’s important to view these changes as long-term investments in quality of life, not quick fixes.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track weekly engagement in four types of activities: mental (reading, puzzles, learning), physical (walking, exercise, movement), social (phone calls, visits, group activities), and productive (gardening, cooking, crafts). Set a goal to engage in at least one activity from each category per week and log completion.
  • Use the app to set reminders for physical activity (aim for daily movement), schedule social connections (weekly calls or visits with friends/family), plan leisure activities (pick one mental and one productive activity per week), and log mood/life satisfaction ratings. Create a simple dashboard showing which activity types you’ve engaged in this week.
  • Monthly review of activity engagement patterns and subjective well-being ratings. Track whether you’re maintaining at least three healthy lifestyle habits and engaging in multiple types of leisure activities. Use trend data to identify which activities correlate with better mood and energy levels, then prioritize those activities.

This research shows associations between healthy habits and longer life in elderly Chinese adults but does not prove these habits cause longer life. Individual results vary based on genetics, healthcare access, and other factors. Before making significant lifestyle changes, especially if you have existing health conditions, consult with your healthcare provider. This information is educational and should not replace professional medical advice. The study was conducted in China and may not apply equally to all populations.