A new study conducted by researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore shows that being happy is associated with longevity in older people. The study followed over 4,000 Singaporean adults aged 60 and over and conducted a nationwide survey to assess the relationship between happiness and the likelihood of mortality. The participants were surveyed in 2009 to evaluate their happiness and were followed until 31st December 2015 by the researchers to keep track of mortality. The findings were published in the British Geriatric Society’s Age and Ageing Journal on Monday.

The survey used to evaluate the participants’ happiness levels asked the individuals how often in the past week they agreed with the phrases “I felt happy”, “I enjoyed life” and “I felt hopeful about the future”. The answers in the survey were given in two different ways – some questions required the participants to rate their happiness using a “happiness score”, whereas others required answers in line with a “binary happiness variable” where participants answered the question in terms of being either “happy” or “unhappy”.

The researchers said that their survey accounted for a wide range of differences amongst the people surveyed such as lifestyle differences, socioeconomic status, and health.

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Source: The News International

The results

Amongst the happy participants, 15 per cent passed away until the cut-off date of 31st December 2015 but for the unhappy participants, the figure climbed to 20 per cent.

Moreover, it was found that every one-point increase in the “happiness score” further reduced the likelihood of death from any cause by nine per cent. Overall, the happy participants were found to be 19 per cent less likely to die from any cause. These trends were found to be consistent for both males and females as well as the younger group of elderly people (ages 60 to 79) and the older group of elderly people (ages 75 and above). {I know these figures are weird, but that’s what was included in the press release}

The senior author of this paper, Assistant Professor Rahul Malhotra who is also the Head of Research at Duke-NUS’ Centre for Ageing Research and Education says that these findings indicate that even small increases in happiness can happiness can positively affect older people’s lifespans. He also says that individual-level activities that increase happiness, as well as government-led initiatives, may all count when it comes to helping older people live longer.

Although other research has previously examined the link between happiness and longevity, results have been said to be inconclusive. This is because many of these studies initially show a link between happiness and longevity, but the association fizzles out when differences in health, lifestyle and demographics are taken into account. Therefore, this is one of the few studies that demonstrate this link with those factors taken into account and is also one of the few Asian-led studies in this area which makes researchers think that these results are also applicable to other non-Western populations.

So keep doing the things that make you smile, no matter how little! They might just help you out in the long-run.