Environmental Correlates of Reaching a Centenarian Age: Analysis of 144,665 Deaths in Washington State for 2011?2015

Rajan Bhardwaj, Solmaz Amiri, Dedra Buchwald and Ofer Amram
Additional contact information
Rajan Bhardwaj: Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA
Solmaz Amiri: Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA
Dedra Buchwald: Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA
Ofer Amram: Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: Objective: This study examined the association of several social and environmental factors on the likelihood of reaching centenarian age for older adults in Washington State. Methods: A survival analysis of reaching centenarian age for older adults aged 75 years and above was performed using Washington State mortality data from 2011−2015. Models were adjusted for sex, race, education, marital status, and neighborhood level social and environmental variables at the block group level. Geographic clusters of increased chance of becoming a centenarian were also mapped. Results: In the adjusted model, increased neighborhood walkability, lower education level, higher socioeconomic status, and a higher percent of working age population were positively associated with reaching centenarian age. Being widowed, divorced/separated, or never married were also positively correlated compared to being married. Additionally, being white or female were positively correlated with reaching centenarian status. Discussion: Several social and environmental factors are correlated with becoming a centenarian in Washington State. In this study, we explore findings that are consistent with previous research, as well as some that have not been previously explained. More research is needed to expand upon these findings in this rapidly growing field.

Keywords: centenarian; mortality; aging; Washington State; social determinants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2828/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2828/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:8:p:2828-:d:347886

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().