We often hear that 60 is the new 50 and, more recently, that 70 is the new 60.
Now a new study suggests that people really do think “old age” starts later in life than it used to.
Scientists have found that older adults now believe this period of life refers to ages 74 and older.
We often hear that 60 is the new 50 and, more recently, that 70 is the new 60. Now a new study suggests that people really do think “old age” starts later in life than it used to. In the photo supermodel Christie Brinkley, 70 years old
Scientists have found that older adults now believe this period of life refers to ages 74 and older. Pictured: John Travolta, 70
And this has increased over the years – suggesting that people who were once considered ‘old’ in the past may not be so today.
A team from Humboldt University in Berlin examined data from 14,056 participants in the German Aging Survey.
This is a long-term study among people living in Germany who were born between 1911 and 1974.
Participants responded to survey questions up to eight times over 25 years, when they were between 40 and 100 years old.
Additional participants were recruited over the study period as later generations reached middle age and old age.
One of the many questions survey participants answered was, “At what age would you describe someone as old?”
The researchers found that later-born participants, compared to the earliest-born participants, reported a later perceived onset of old age.
For example, when participants born in 1911 were 65 years old, they identified the onset of old age as age 71.
On the other hand, when participants born in 1956 were 65 years old, they set the onset of old age at 74 years.
Study author Markus Wettstein said: ‘Life expectancy has increased, which could contribute to a later observed onset of old age.
‘Also, some aspects of health have improved over time, such that people of a certain age who used to be considered old are no longer considered old today.’
The researchers also found that as individuals grew older, their perception of the onset of old age was pushed back.
At age 64, the average participant said age started at 74.7. But by the time they were 74, they said old age started at 76.8.
A new study suggests that people really do think that ‘old age’ starts later in life than it used to. Scientists have found that older adults now believe this period of life refers to ages 74 and older
Finally, the team examined how individual characteristics such as gender and health contributed to differences in the perceived onset of old age.
They found that, on average, women said old age started two years later than men – and that the difference between men and women had increased over time.
They also found that people who reported being lonelier, in poorer health and feeling older said that, on average, old age started earlier than those who were less lonely, in better health and felt younger.
The findings were published in the journal Psychology and aging.