Abstract
BackgroundAn area of extraordinary longevity (i.e., Sardinian Blue Zone) characterized by a very high prevalence of long-lived successful agers has been validated in Sardinia, an Italian island located in the Mediterranean Sea.AimsThis study was primarily aimed at examining whether dietary habits (intake of vegetables and fruit, animal-derived proteins, and carbohydrates-rich food), time spent on hobbies, subjective physical health, and socio-cultural context (Sardinian Blue Zone vs. another Sardinian rural area) predicted self-reported depressive symptoms in older adults recruited in the Sardinian Blue Zone and another Sardinian rural area not being characterized by a higher prevalence of long-lived individuals.MethodsThree hundred and eighteen community-dwellers, age 65 years and older, 188 females and 130 males (Mage = 79.1 years, SD = 6.9 years) were recruited from the Sardinian Blue Zone and another Sardinian rural area. Each participant individually completed a battery of instruments to assess lifestyle, food habits, perceived physical health, and depressive symptoms through the CES-D inventory.ResultsSignificant associations were found between depressive signs, perceived physical health, time spent gardening, proteins, and carbohydrates intake, respectively. Approximately 17% of the variance in the CES-D condition was predicted by socio-cultural context, perceived physical health, and gardening. Participants recruited in the Sardinian Blue Zone spent more time gardening and self-reported better physical health.Conclusionscurrent results suggest that a socio-cultural context where people age well (i.e., the Sardinian Blue Zone), and a healthy and physically active lifestyle are crucial for promoting well-being in late adulthood.
Highlights
One of the direct consequences of the raising in the geriatric population is the need to identify the factors that favor successful aging and that promote the maintenance of the quality of life in later adulthood [1]
Participants living in the SBZ (M = 8.41, SD = 6.4) and those recruited in other Sardinian rural villages (M = 13.55, SD = 8.2) reported few depressive signs, that is, the mean Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) score was even below the cut-off (i.e., ≥ 16) indicating the occurrence of significant depressive symptoms
A data inspection revealed that 4 females recruited in the SBZ and 17 females and 7 males residing in other Sardinian rural villages reported a CES-D score ≥ 23, indicating the suspect occurrence of clinical depression
Summary
One of the direct consequences of the raising in the geriatric population is the need to identify the factors that favor successful aging and that promote the maintenance of the quality of life in later adulthood [1]. One potentially relevant approach to evaluate the contribution of psychological characteristics and related factors (e.g., lifestyle) to the enhancement of successful aging is to examine the subjective mental health of long-lived individuals. In this regard, Poulain et al [5] experimentally validated four rural areas of extraordinary longevity (i.e., Blue Zones) in the world, which are located in Sardinia (Italy), Ikaria (Greece), Okinawa (Japan), and Nicoya (Costa Rica). Conclusions current results suggest that a socio-cultural context where people age well (i.e., the Sardinian Blue Zone), and a healthy and physically active lifestyle are crucial for promoting well-being in late adulthood
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