Following a recent study of nearly 160,000 women across different races and backgrounds, a group of scientists are saying that optimism is associated with a longer lifespan — even giving less pessimistic minded individuals a greater chance at living past 90. According to lead author Hayami Koga, it’s a pattern that possibly expands beyond social structures.
“Although optimism itself may be patterned by social structural factors, our findings suggest that the benefits of optimism for longevity may hold across racial and ethnic groups,” the postdoctoral student at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said in a statement to CNN.
The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society on June 8, ultimately determined that the most optimistic women in the study were associated with a 5.4% longer lifespan than those considered the least optimistic.
The study, however, did note that more research is needed.
“Higher optimism was associated with longer lifespan and a greater likelihood of achieving exceptional longevity overall and across racial and ethnic groups,” the study said in its conclusion. “The contribution of lifestyle to these associations was modest. Optimism may promote health and longevity in diverse racial and ethnic groups. Future research should investigate these associations in less long-lived populations.”
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