IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vid/yearbk/v11y2013i1p87-108.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Blue Zones: areas of exceptional longevity around the world

Author

Listed:
  • Michel Poulain
  • Anne Herm
  • Gianni Pes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the level of population longevity and the characteristics of four geographic areas where unusually high proportions of longlived individuals have been observed. For these areas (Ogliastra in Sardinia, Okinawa in Japan, the Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica and the island of Ikaria in Greece). The term of ‘blue zone’ (BZ) given to these areas is defined as a limited region where the population shares a common lifestyle and environment and whose exceptional longevity has been accurately verified. This paper discusses the use of different indexes to measure the longevity of a population. As a preliminary result of our investigations we confirm the exceptional level of male longevity in the Sardinian BZ and both male and female longevity in Okinawa. Considering possible explanations, we observed that BZ populations are geographically and/or historically isolated (islands and mountainous regions). These populations succeeded in maintaining a traditional lifestyle implying an intense physical activity that extends beyond the age of 80, a reduced level of stress and intensive family and community support for their oldest olds as well as the consumption of locally produced food. This is likely to have facilitated the accumulation of ideal conditions capable of limiting the factors that negatively impact on health in most Western populations. These people experienced the epidemiological transition—and its implications—in relative recent times, and their remarkably good health status during ageing could be the result of a delicate balance between the benefits of the traditional lifestyle and those of modernity (increased wealth, better medical care). All these factors could have promoted an ideal milieu for the emergence of long-lived phenotypes at the population level.

Suggested Citation

  • Michel Poulain & Anne Herm & Gianni Pes, 2013. "The Blue Zones: areas of exceptional longevity around the world," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 11(1), pages 87-108.
  • Handle: RePEc:vid:yearbk:v:11:y:2013:i:1:p:87-108
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://austriaca.at/0xc1aa5576_0x00307bb6.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michel Poulain, 2011. "Exceptional Longevity in Okinawa:," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 25(7), pages 245-284.
    2. Poland, Blake & Coburn, David & Robertson, Ann & Eakinand members of the Critical Social Science Group, Joan, 1998. "Wealth, equity and health care: a critique of a "population health" perspective on the determinants of health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 46(7), pages 785-798, April.
    3. Luis Rosero-Bixby, 2008. "The exceptionally high life expectancy of Costa Rican nonagenarians," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 45(3), pages 673-691, August.
    4. Luis Rosero-Bixby & William H. Dow & David H. Rehkopf, 2013. "The Nicoya region of Costa Rica: a high longevity island for elderly males," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 11(1), pages 109-136.
    5. Cockerham, William C. & Hattori, Hiroyuki & Yamori, Yukio, 2000. "The social gradient in life expectancy: the contrary case of Okinawa in Japan," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 115-122, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Christiaan G. Abildso & Cynthia K. Perry & Lauren Jacobs & M. Renée Umstattd Meyer & Megan McClendon & Michael B. Edwards & James N. Roemmich & Zachary Ramsey & Margaret Stout, 2021. "What Sets Physically Active Rural Communities Apart from Less Active Ones? A Comparative Case Study of Three US Counties," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-21, October.
    2. Francesco Tolu & Mario Palermo & Maria Pina Dore & Alessandra Errigo & Ana Canelada & Michel Poulain & Giovanni Mario Pes, 2019. "Association of endemic goitre and exceptional longevity in Sardinia: evidence from an ecological study," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 405-414, December.
    3. Maria Chiara Fastame & Marilena Ruiu & Ilaria Mulas, 2022. "Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being in Late Adulthood: Lessons From Sardinia’s Blue Zone," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 713-726, February.
    4. Julian M. Saad & James O. Prochaska, 2020. "A philosophy of health: life as reality, health as a universal value," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(1), pages 1-11, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Luis Rosero-Bixby & William H. Dow & David H. Rehkopf, 2013. "The Nicoya region of Costa Rica: a high longevity island for elderly males," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 11(1), pages 109-136.
    2. Sebastian Klüsener & Rembrandt D. Scholz, 2013. "Regional hot spots of exceptional longevity in Germany," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 11(1), pages 137-163.
    3. Francesco Tolu & Mario Palermo & Maria Pina Dore & Alessandra Errigo & Ana Canelada & Michel Poulain & Giovanni Mario Pes, 2019. "Association of endemic goitre and exceptional longevity in Sardinia: evidence from an ecological study," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 405-414, December.
    4. Stephen Birch, 1999. "The 39 steps: the mystery of health inequalities in the UK," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 8(4), pages 301-308, June.
    5. Vanessa di Lego & Cássio M. Turra & Cibele Cesar, 2017. "Mortality selection among adults in Brazil: The survival advantage of Air Force officers," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 37(41), pages 1339-1350.
    6. Ruhai Bai & Junxiang Wei & Ruopeng An & Yan Li & Laura Collett & Shaonong Dang & Wanyue Dong & Duolao Wang & Zeping Fang & Yaling Zhao & Youfa Wang, 2018. "Trends in Life Expectancy and Its Association with Economic Factors in the Belt and Road Countries—Evidence from 2000–2014," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Rembrandt D. Scholz & Sebastian Klüsener, 2012. "Regional hot spots of exceptional longevity in Germany," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2012-028, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    8. Daria A. Kashtanova & Anastasiia N. Taraskina & Veronika V. Erema & Anna A. Akopyan & Mikhail V. Ivanov & Irina D. Strazhesko & Alexandra I. Akinshina & Vladimir S. Yudin & Valentin V. Makarov & Serge, 2022. "Analyzing Successful Aging and Longevity: Risk Factors and Health Promoters in 2020 Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-22, July.
    9. Nakaya, Tomoki & Dorling, Danny, 2005. "Geographical inequalities of mortality by income in two developed island countries: a cross-national comparison of Britain and Japan," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(12), pages 2865-2875, June.
    10. Hui Zheng & Yang Yang & Kenneth Land, 2011. "Heterogeneity in the Strehler-Mildvan General Theory of Mortality and Aging," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 48(1), pages 267-290, February.
    11. Leonid A. Gavrilov & Natalia S. Gavrilova, 2013. "Determinants of exceptional human longevity: new ideas and findings," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 11(1), pages 295-323.
    12. Jon Anson, 2013. "Surviving to be the oldest old—destiny or chance?," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 11(1), pages 71-85.
    13. Yang Yang & Han Lin Shang & Joel E. Cohen, 2022. "Temporal and spatial Taylor's law: Application to Japanese subnational mortality rates," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 185(4), pages 1979-2006, October.
    14. Crighton, Eric J. & Elliott, Susan J. & Moineddin, Rahim & Kanaroglou, Pavlos & Upshur, Ross, 2007. "A spatial analysis of the determinants of pneumonia and influenza hospitalizations in Ontario (1992-2001)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(8), pages 1636-1650, April.
    15. Dana Glei & Magali Barbieri & Carolina Santamaría-Ulloa, 2019. "Costa Rican mortality 1950‒2013: An evaluation of data quality and trends compared with other countries," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(29), pages 835-864.
    16. Raphael, Dennis & Bryant, Toba, 2004. "The welfare state as a determinant of women's health: support for women's quality of life in Canada and four comparison nations," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 63-79, April.
    17. Jules Pretty & Mike Rogerson & Jo Barton, 2017. "Green Mind Theory: How Brain-Body-Behaviour Links into Natural and Social Environments for Healthy Habits," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-19, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vid:yearbk:v:11:y:2013:i:1:p:87-108. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Bernhard Rengs (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.oeaw.ac.at/vid/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.