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Retail therapy might actually work

A shopping trip-a-day could help to keep the doctor away. Elderly people who go shopping daily live longer than their less shopping-prone peers.

Retail therapy might actually work

A shopping trip-a-day could help to keep the doctor away. Elderly people who go shopping daily live longer than their less shopping-prone peers. And retail therapy seemed to benefit men more than women.

Frequent shopping among the elderly is related to increased walking - a low-impact physical activity that can improve heart health as well as balance and coordination. Shopping provides an enjoyable activity and helps older adults feel included in their community. In addition to physical activity, frequent shopping among older adults has also been related to improved nutrition intake. This last point may simply be because more trips to the store could mean more healthy food in the house. Companionship of other people during the shopping experience might also influence health.

Researchers reviewed a nationally representative survey about elder nutrition and health conducted in 1999 and 2000. The questionnaires, filled out by 1,841 Taiwanese people over the age of 65 years who were still living independently at home, included questions about how often they shopped. The researchers also obtained information on the individuals' health, financial status and other factors, and then compared the data with official death records from 1999 to 2008.

It was found that about half of the 1,841 participants said they never or hardly ever shopped, while 22 percent engaged in retail therapy two-to-four times a week and 17 percent shopped every day. Almost two-thirds of the respondents were under 75 years, and most reported having a healthy lifestyle. Nearly two-thirds, however, had at least two long-term health conditions.

The findings fit together with the concept of active aging, which means higher levels of physical activity, economic activity and social and cultural engagement help with healthy ageing.

People who shopped more frequently were more often younger (and probably therefore more able-bodied) and male. Oddly, though, they also smoked and drank more alcohol, despite also being in better overall health and getting out of the house to exercise or have dinner with friends more often. The once-a-day shoppers were 27 percent less likely to die than the shop-a-phobics, even after adjusting for physical and mental impairment. Men who shopped once a day were 28 percent less likely to die and women 23 percent less likely than those who seldom ventured out to stores. Also, most of the participants were financially self-sufficient, so a lack of shopping wasn't just a proxy of being poor.

Although compared to formal exercise, shopping may be an easy way to get leisure-time physical activity, it does not mean that shopping itself increases longevity. The characteristics of individuals that enable them to shop are associated with greater longevity. Shopping requires that you physically move from one place to another, be able to handle money, make decisions, etc, which are characteristics linked to better health.
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