Factors associated with successful ageing

Objective: To assess the prevalence of successful ageing and the factors associated with it. Method: An epidemiological survey was carried out with 1,045 persons aged 70+ living in Canberra or Queanbeyan. Successful ageing was defined as living in the community without disability, with excellent or good self-rated health and a high score on a cognitive screening test. Results: The prevalence of successful ageing declined steeply from age 70-74 to age 80+. Men had a higher prevalence than women. In both men and women, successful ageing was associated with higher verbal intelligence. For women there were, in addition, associations with lower neuroticism, not smoking and lower frequency of strenuous activity earlier in life. Conclusions: While the ageing of the population may lead to a higher prevalence of agerelated disease, increasing intelligence test scores in future cohorts of the elderly may lead to countervailing positive effects on successful ageing.