Where someone lives can affect the longevity of life

New evidence from one study showed that some locations improve longevity more than others for a variety of reasons. The study showed that when a 65-year-old individual moves from a metropolitan area at the 10th percentile, which improves longevity, to one that was at the 90th percentile, he could increase his life by about 1.1 years.

“There is a substantially significant causal effect on where you live as an adult on mortality and life expectancy in the United States,” said study co-author Amy Finkelstein, a professor in the Department of Economics. from MIT, in a press release. “We wanted to separate the role of people’s past experiences and behaviors — or health capital — from the role of the place or environment.”

In the study, the researchers noted that health capital could be considered obesity, smoking or other behaviors due to the region where a person lives. However, this study shows how location itself can affect a person in a more general sense.

The study also found that many urban areas in the midwest or any of the coasts had positive effects on longevity, while there were negative effects for individuals moving south or southwest.

The study assessed how people got out of it when moving from one place to another and compared people who had the same initial location before moving. The researchers also considered pre-existing health conditions before examining how location affected shelf life.

“The differences in health care between sites are large and potentially significant,” Finkelstein said in the press release. “But there are also differences in pollution, weather, [and] other aspects. … What we need to do now is go into the black box of the “place” and find out what matters for longevity. “

Reference

Comparing seniors relocating long-distance shows where you live affects your longevity. ScienceDaily. Press release. September 1, 2021. Accessed September 2, 2021. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210901113734.htm