Characteristics Of Centenarians Research Articles

Characteristics of centenarians’ lifestyles and their contribution to life satisfaction: A case study conducted on Hainan Island

BackgroundCentenarians represent an intriguing model for healthy aging. They appear to have adapted well to their lives and are likely to be influenced by previous lifestyle habits, and their life satisfaction is influenced by mental and psychological health. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to explore centenarians’ lifestyles by sex and their potential contribution to life satisfaction. MethodIn order to examine the common characteristics of centenarians in Hainan and the potential differences between men and women, a cross-sectional survey was conducted with 223 cognitively-intact Chinese centenarians. We also explored the association between life satisfaction and other physical factors using binary logistic regression and principal component analysis. ResultsThe results provided supplementary evidence indicating that women tended to live longer than men. However, the difference in life satisfaction observed between the sexes was not obvious (p = 0.659). The proportion of physical factors between each sex showed a similar trend in distribution. Most centenarians’ lifestyles were similar, in that they followed a light diet and did not smoke or drink alcohol. Centenarians in better physical condition and with higher self-assessment, as well as those with “alcohol and tobacco habits,” were more satisfied with their life. Of the factors examined in the binary logistic regression, sleep satisfaction was the only factor significantly positively correlated with life satisfaction (p < .01). ConclusionThe research findings elucidated physiological and psychological health in centenarians and provided a model of healthy aging strategies for reference purposes.

Clinical Phenomenology and Characteristics of Centenarians in Hospice.

Little is known about the hospice experience of centenarians. As the population of centenarians is projected to increase, understanding their unique end-of-life needs will be important to inform delivery of quality end-of-life care. Our objective was to characterize the hospice experience of centenarians. A retrospective single-institution cohort study of centenarians enrolled in hospice from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2017, was conducted to collect demographic and clinical information. Seventeen centenarians, who comprised 1.4% of hospice admissions, had an average age of 102 years, were mostly female (71%) and widowed (76%), and all caucasian. Upon hospice admission, centenarians resided in nursing (8, 47%) and assisted living (4, 24%) residencies as well as at home (4, 24%) and in senior independent living (1, 6%). Sixty percent of centenarians died in a nursing home. The most common hospice admission diagnosis was dementia (35%). Median length of stay on hospice was 41 days (range: 16-85) for 15 persons who died or discharged live. In this group of centenarians, dementia was the most common condition for hospice enrollment. Slightly less than half resided in nursing homes on admission, although death occurred most frequently in a nursing home. Centenarians were generally able to remain out of the hospital at their time of death.

Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of Centenarians in Mexico City.

Background There is little evidence about the demography and health status of adults aged 100 years and over in Latin America and there are no studies in Mexico. Objectives To describe the demographic characteristics and health status of centenarians residing in Mexico City. Methods This is a cross-sectional study using a population base of 393 community-dwelling centenarians in Mexico City. A comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed, including demographic information and health status. ResultsThe mean age of centenarians was 101.82 ± 2.02 years, of whom 44 (9.1%) were semisupercentenarians (105–109 years old) and 5 (0.2%) were supercentenarians (≥110 years old). The female/male ratio was 3.2 : 1. Twelve (4.5%) reside in nursing homes. Women versus men have unfavorable conditions given their criteria: being without a partner, dependence in 1 or more basic activities, dependence in 1 or more instrumental activities, hypertension, cancer, and Parkinson's disease. Nevertheless, as compared to other populations, Mexican centenarians report having good self-perception of health (78.9%), polypharmacy (17.8%), low rate of pain (11.4%), diabetes (4.8%), and dyslipidemia (1.8%). ConclusionsThis is the first study in Latin America that describes the social and clinical characteristics of centenarians in Mexico City. This population has a high percentage of malnutrition and osteoarthrosis, a high self-perception of health, low frequency of diabetes, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, and a high frequency of “escapers” (24%).

Life at Age 100: An International Research Agenda for Centenarian Studies

ABSTRACTLiving a long life is desired by many individuals, and this dream is likely to become reality in more and more industrialized societies. During the past 3 decades, the number of very old individuals has increased significantly, creating a global demographic challenge with consequences at the individual, family, and societal levels. Yet, life in very old age is still poorly understood in terms of its unique characteristics and challenges. Besides specific content areas, very old age represents an understudied field of research. This lack of knowledge may be one reason that the very old also are an underserved population. This special issue introduces an international network of three centenarian studies that describe and compare the life circumstances and characteristics of centenarians across Germany, Portugal, and the United States. Our parallel studies comprehensively assess centenarians’ physical, cognitive, social, and psychological functioning to create a knowledge base regarding their capacities and needs. A specific focus lies in the investigation of psychological aspects, social resources, and societal/cultural contexts, factors that may contribute to longevity and successful aging. Determining key characteristics of this very old population and investigating similarities and differences across countries is timely and urgent, both from an applied and a policy standpoint.

Understanding the oldest old in northern Japan: An overview of the functional ability and characteristics of centenarians

To increase knowledge of the functional ability of centenarians by examining the situation of Japanese centenarians residing in an urban region in northern Japan. Questionnaires focused on functional ability, demographics, housing and care needs were received from 56 centenarians and 104 control subjects: 56 aged 80-89 and 48 aged 90-99. Centenarian physical capabilities, care needs and health history were diversified. Centenarians most commonly resided with family in the community and were likely to utilize informal and insurance care services. Gender differences in functional ability by age groups known as gender cross-over were observed in control subjects but reduced in centenarians. A few who reported physical limitations were not entitled to receive nationally subsidized care services suggesting inaccuracies may have occurred during certification determination. Centenarians in northern Japan represent a heterogeneous cohort suggesting multiple paths to the attainment of advanced old age. This is the first study designed to provide a solid knowledge base of actual circumstances experienced by centenarians specifically in northern Japan.

Characteristics of Centenarians Admitted to a Community Teaching Hospital

Characteristics of Centenarians Admitted to a Community Teaching Hospital

Clinical Characteristics of Centenarians - A study on the Korean Centenarians

Clinical Characteristics of Centenarians - A study on the Korean Centenarians

A survey of a centenarian population in italy, focusing on self-sufficiency and cognition

Eighty-six persons aged 100 years or older (20 males and 66 females) living in urban areas of different Italian regions were examined between 1985 and 1992, aimed at describing the characteristics of centenarians in an entire population. The female/male ratio was 4 to 1, and 69% of the centenarians lived at home. Body mass index was 21.3 in females and 24.5 in males. The subjects typically reported no major diseases, only a few hospital admittances (1.2/lifetime) and a limited use of regular medication (on average: 1.4 drugs). The mothers and fathers of the centenarians lived 76.2 and 74.2 years, respectively. The Activities of Daily Living scale revealed a decrease in instrumental activities, and an adequate self-maintenance in the majority of centenarians; a full score on the Physical Self Maintenance Scale was reached by 10% of the subjects; these scores were not significantly influenced by the isolated sensory deficits but were lower in patients with multiple impairments. The Mini Mental State Examination score was overall 17.7 +/- 8.3 for the group, reaching 24.1 in male and 20.2 in female literate subjects without major hearing or vision defects; these scores varied significantly in relation to sensory deficits and education. In our centenarian population males reached extreme old age less frequently, but with a better quality of life, than females. The good overall performance of the whole population, and especially of the subpopulation without impairments, suggests a selective survival of centenarians, as also demonstrated by the long lifespan of their immediate relatives.