Study Reveals Healthy Lifestyle Index Strongly Correlates with Self-Rated Health in Older Adults
A cross-sectional analysis of 421 adults aged 75 and older from the Loma Linda Longevity Study indicates that a comprehensive Healthy Lifestyle Index is strongly and monotonically correlated with both self-rated health and quality of life. This index incorporates fruit and vegetable intake, avoidance of sugar and fat, smoking and alcohol status, physical activity, and sleep duration. Participants in the top quartile of this index demonstrated approximately five to seven times higher adjusted odds of reporting superior subjective health compared to those in the bottom quartile. The study, conducted between 2021 and 2023 across San Bernardino and Riverside counties in Southern California, focused on how lifestyle choices impact the perceived health and quality of life in the oldest-old. While a vegetarian dietary pattern was initially linked to better outcomes, this association weakened once body mass index and disease burden were factored into the model. The research emphasizes that the overall pattern of t... 
