Over 60s with unhealthy lifestyles linked to heightened risk of nursing home care

Over 60s with the unhealthiest lifestyles are significantly more likely to require admission to a nursing home than their peers with the healthiest lifestyles, suggest the findings of a large population study published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Physical inactivity, smoking, poor diet, and sleep disorders between the ages of 60 and 64 seemed to be particularly influential: they were associated with a more than doubling in the risk of admission, the findings show.

To explore this further, the researchers accessed data for 127,108 men and women aged 60 and above. Based on the responses, participants were categorized into low, medium, or high-risk lifestyle groups. Around 1 in 4 (24%) were allocated to the low-risk group, nearly two-thirds (62%) to the medium-risk group, and 14% to the high-risk group. The researchers calculated that, compared with those over 60s in the low-risk lifestyle group, the risk of nursing home admission was 43% higher for those in the high-risk group, and 12% higher for those in the medium-risk group.

Further in-depth analysis indicated that lifestyle factors seemed to be especially influential among 60-64 years olds. Those in this age bracket with the unhealthiest lifestyles were more than twice as likely to be admitted to a nursing home than those with the healthiest.

Reference: Impact of lifestyle risk factors on admission to nursing home care: a cohort study of 127 108 people aged 60 years and over, Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, DOI 10.1136/jech-2023-220518