Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (5)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by BUONO, M. D.
Right arrow Articles by LEO, D. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by BUONO, M. D.
Right arrow Articles by LEO, D. D.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1998 Oxford University Press

other

Quality of life and longevity: a study of centenarians

MARIROSA DELLO BUONO, ORNELLA URCIUOLI and DIEGO DE LEO

Psychogeriatric Service, University of Padua, Via Vendramini 7, 35137 Padua, and Fatebenefratelli Hospital Brescia, Italy

M. Dello Buono. Fax (+39) 49 8216264

Objective: interest in centenarians has focused on two particular aspects: the antecedents of extreme old age and the psychophysical well-being of the very old. Our study deals with the latter aspect and aims to assess the quality of life of Italian centenarians.

Method: using data collected using two questionnaires designed to investigate quality of life in elderly people, three groups of 38 elderly subjects were compared: centenarians and subjects aged between 75 and 85 years and 86 and 99 years.

Results: the centenarians complained less spontaneously about their health (maintained in part by medical treatments), but declared having greater functional disability. Their cognitive function appears to be reasonably well preserved and they have lower scores for anxiety and depression than the subjects in the two younger groups. They consider themselves religious, satisfied with their financial situation but no longer interested in sex or involved in recreational activities. They report greater satisfaction with life and with social and family relations than do less elderly individuals.

Conclusions: the centenarians we interviewed seem to be well adapted to their lives and to maintain a more positive attitude than the subjects in the two younger groups.

Keywords: adaptation, centenarians, quality of life, religion, sex

Received February 19, 1997;
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Br Med BullHome page
G. Netuveli and D. Blane
Quality of life in older ages
Br. Med. Bull., March 1, 2008; 85(1): 113 - 126.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.