Shoppers, rejoice! Yes, regular shopping helps people live longer, at least according to a recent survery published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Participants were surveyed about their age, gender, employment status, lifestyle factors as well as how often they shop.
Around half of the participants never or infrequently shopped during the week, 22% shopped between two and four times a week, 17% shopped every day, and the remainder – once a week.
Two thirds of the participants were under age 75 and about half were men (54%). Most had an overall healthy lifestyle but 60% had long term health conditions.
Those that shopped more than once a week were male and primarily on the younger side of those surveyed.
Those who shopped daily were 27% less likely to die, with male daily shoppers 28% less likely to die and females who were 23% less likely to die.
The authors determined that shopping is conducive to maintaining a healthy lifestyle because it means getting outside and walking around. It also fosters a certain amount of companionship and human interaction.
“Shopping captures several dimensions of personal wellbeing, health, and security as well as contributing to the community’s cohesiveness and economy, and may represent or actually confer increased longevity,” the authors concluded.
So bust out that credit card, granny!
(Via Science Daily)
