Secrets to Longevity: Exploring Lifestyle Habits of Wellness in Older Adults
Project Abstract
Given the influx in the aging demographic, public interest has centered around lifestyle factors enabling health and longevity. Blue Zones ® are five regions where individuals live to the age of 100+. Buettner identified nine lifestyle habits common among centenarians in these regions (the Power 9 ®). The Power 9 ® encompasses four domains. Activity is engaging in regular movement leisurely or via an exercise regimen. Outlook has two components: downshift and purpose. Downshift is one’s ability to manage stress. Purpose is the reason for existence. The nutrition domain consists of three areas: wine @, plant-slant, and the 80% rule. Buettner says moderate wine consumption (2-4 glasses daily) protects health. Plant-based protein in vegetables, dairy, and legumes is preferable to animal-based protein sources. The 80% rule calls for moderating portion size to avoid overeating. Mindful or intuitive eating can help one attune to satiety cues. Connections, the final domain, has three components. Family is considered the center of life. Prioritizing relationships with loved ones is recommended. This domain recognizes humans as connected beings with a strong urge to belong to a group. Finding one’s right tribe is the final component: like-minded people who support healthy lifestyle behaviors. Using appreciative inquiry (AI), researchers interviewed older adults in a rural midwestern community to learn whether they were engaging in any Power 9 ®. AI is a model approach to organizational behavior. It turns the traditional approach to problem-solving upside down. Rather than focusing on the negative, one looks at the positive. In the present study, researchers capitalized on what works for participants to sustain a long life.
Conference
Conference Name: 2025 College of Education and Human Ecology Research Forum, The Ohio State University.
Date: February 20, 2025
Sponsoring Body: Office of Research, Innovation and Collaboration (ORIC), College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University
Conference website : https://u.osu.edu/ehestudentresearch/
Funding Type
Travel Grant
Academic College
Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology
Area/Major/Minor
Occupational Safety and Health
Degree
Masters Degree in Occupational Safety and Health
Classification
Graduate
Name
Oluwabunmi Dada, Ph.D
Academic College
Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology
Recommended Citation
Obeng, Rachael; Robertson, Lauren; Henrich, Eliza; Naber, Jessica; Malm, Esther; Dada, Oluwabunmi M.; and Dodd, Amelia, "Secrets to Longevity: Exploring Lifestyle Habits of Wellness in Older Adults" (2025). ORCA Travel & Research Grants. 186.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/orcagrants/186