Optimism, lifestyle, and longevity in a racially diverse cohort of women.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Prospective observational cohort study
PubMed 35674052 · doi:10.1111/jgs.17897
What was done
Data from 159,255 female participants in the Women's Health Initiative were analyzed to evaluate associations between baseline optimism (measured by a validated tool) and longevity across racial and ethnic groups. Accelerated failure time models estimated lifespan increments, Poisson regression evaluated exceptional longevity (survival to age ≥90), and causal mediation analysis assessed the mediating role of healthy lifestyle factors.
What was found
After covariate adjustment, the highest versus lowest optimism quartile was associated with a 5.4% (95% CI: 4.5% to 6.4%) longer lifespan in the full cohort. In racial and ethnic subgroups, estimates were 5.1% (95% CI: 4.0% to 6.1%) in non-Hispanic White, 7.6% (95% CI: 3.6% to 11.7%) in Black, 5.4% (95% CI: -0.1% to 11.2%) in Hispanic/Latina, and 1.5% (95% CI: -5.0% to 8.5%) in Asian women. Exceptional longevity was achieved by 53% of participants, with higher optimism predicting greater likelihood of reaching age ≥90 (risk ratio = 1.1, 95% CI: 1.1 to 1.1). Lifestyle mediated 24% of the optimism-lifespan association overall (25% in White, 10% in Black, 24% in Hispanic/Latina, and 43% in Asian women).
Why it matters
This study extends evidence linking optimism to extended lifespan and exceptional longevity beyond predominantly White cohorts to racially and ethnically diverse populations, demonstrating that the association is only partially explained by lifestyle habits.
Limits
The study is observational, so residual confounding cannot be ruled out and causality cannot be determined. The cohort consisted entirely of women, limiting generalizability to men. Subgroup analyses for Hispanic/Latina and Asian women had wide confidence intervals crossing zero.
Cited by
- supports Multiple studies demonstrate that higher levels of optimism improve aging outcomes and longevity.