Factors associated with healthy longevity: a report from the Study of Oldest-Old and Centenarians in Hong Kong

Abstract

Very little is known about the health status of the oldest old and its changes over time. This is due to the fact that most of the results of epidemiological or demographic studies stop at the age of 85 with a final value supplied globally for all the persons aged “85 years or more” while today in Hong Kong the majority of women and nearly one third of men die after 85 years. A rapid and persistent decline in fertility and in mortality gives rise, in due course, to unprecedented numbers of oldest-old and an increase in its proportion. The average annual growth rate of the Hong Kong oldest-old is expected to continue around 8%, more than 2 times the growth rate of the entire elderly population aged 60 and older. The number of centenarians was also exploding about four-folds from 289 in 1981 to 1,510 in 2006 for both genders. The population of the oldest-old and centenarians will grow faster than any other age group in Hong Kong, and they are much more likely to need help in daily living than the younger elderly, and they are the most difficult and expensive part of the care-giving services for the elderly. Our project, the first centenarian study in Hong Kong, aims to provide a better understanding of the determinants of healthy longevity, and to discover psycho-social, behavioral, and environmental factors that may have an influence on the healthy longevity among the oldest-old. A standardized sampling method is applied in accordance with the proportion of elderly people by 18 Geographical Constituency Area. Twenty of cognitively and physically intact oldest-old and centenarians are recruited and interviewed in the collaboration with the Hong Kong Council of Social Service as a pilot study. This paper presents a basic statistical analysis of the profile of the health status of Hong Kong oldest-old and centenarians.