Longevity traits of nonagenarians and centenarians in Cilento, Italy

A recent study in 2017 reveals the longevity traits of nonagenarians and centenarians in Cilento, southern Italy, and that the secret to long life is more than diet.

The University of California’s San Diego Centre for Healthy Aging conducted a study of 90 and 100 year olds in Cilento, Italy, a rural region famous for its high concentration of very old residents.

For the study, published in International Psychogeriatrics, co-author and Italian psychologist Anna Scelzo interviewed 29 Cilento residents ranging in age from 90 to 101, and asked them about their life histories, losses, values and beliefs. She also talked with 51 of their younger relatives to get their impressions of the elders’ personalities.

Anna Scelzo found that the interviewed participants had a lot in common. They were positive, optimistic, hopeful, resilient, stubborn, and hard-working. Despite the traumatic events in their long lives, they were still hopeful for the future and had something to live for. They were still active in their old age. They loved their families, but their families said that their older relatives were often “controlling, domineering, and stubborn.” They wanted things to be done their way.

Here are some of the findings and lessons:

1.   The elders have good mental well-being

As people get older, their physical health declines, but their mental health improves. Dr Dilip V. Jeste, study co-author and director of the San Diego Centre for Healthy Aging, calls it the wisdom of aging. “When you are older … the expectation changes — expectations of other people and expectation of self. You accept yourself better.”

2.   The elders are full of resilience and optimism

The nonagenarians and centenarians in Cilento had been through a lot of stresses, such as war, financial depression, drought, migration, major illnesses, and the deaths of loved ones, yet they were still full of hope. "Life is what it is and must be faced," one of the elders said. These traits of positivity are about 30%-40% genetically inherited, but that means the rest is within a person’s control, Jeste said.

3.   Work is important, so is a purpose in life

These rural families worked hard for most of their lives, cultivating their land. Therefore, work provided a sense of higher purpose and meaning. Taking it easy may be enjoyable at first, but it may not make you happy after a while, Jeste said.

4.   The elders feel loved by family and friends

The nonagenarians and centenarians in Cilento were very close with their families and continued to be socially active. They often lived with relatives and frequently had visitors. Having social support is one of the most important things you can do to live happily, Jeste said. “You look forward to seeing them. You can share your stresses and joys.”

https://www.today.com/health/italy-s-oldest-people-shed-light-longevity-psychology-t120001

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).