People who live in highly-walkable, mixed aged communities stand the best chance of hitting a century.
That’s the key takeaway from a recent Washington State University study, seeking to understand the environmental factors that impact longevity.
The data examined 145,000 Washingtonians aged 75 and older, paying particular attention to variables like access to transit, green space exposure and pollution levels.
People living in walkable neighbourhoods with a higher socioeconomic status and mixed community age group were considerably more likely to reach triple digits – not too much of a surprise.
However, living in areas with less isolation and access to community support – such as a retirement village or land lease community – was also key.
The study’s authors say the research adds to the growing body of evidence that social and environmental factors are a major contributor to longevity – and say they hope their findings can eventually be used to create healthier communities.
So, if you’re hanging out for a letter from the Queen, now you know what to do!
