CAN ENGAGING IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES PROLONG LIFE?

MAY 21, 2025 - A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society indicates that social engagement may help older individuals live longer.

In the study of 2,268 U.S. individuals aged 60 years and older who completed the Psychosocial and Lifestyle Questionnaires and provided blood samples in 2016, there was a strong association between engaging in social activities and a low risk of 4-year mortality. High social engagement was associated with a 42% lower mortality risk than low engagement.

Specific activities, such as charity work, engaging with grandchildren, and participation in sports or social clubs, were particularly significant predictors of a reduced risk of dying.

Also, analyses indicated that decelerated biological aging and greater physical activity levels played key roles in facilitating the beneficial relationship between social engagement and lower mortality rates.

“Staying socially active is more than a lifestyle choice. It is closely linked to healthier aging and longevity,” said corresponding author Ashraf Abugroun, MBBS, MPH, of the University of California, San Francisco. “These results underscore how participating in community life contributes to better health in older adults.”

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.19511

Full citation: “Low Social Engagement and Risk of Death in Older Adults.” Ashraf Abugroun, Sachin J. Shah, Kenneth Covinsky, Colin Hubbard, John C. Newman, Margaret C. Fang. J Am Geriatr Soc; Published Online: April 14, 2025 (DOI: 10.1111/jgs.19511).

Copyright © 2019 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Reproduced with permission.