EvidenceHealthNutrition
Lifestyle of Chinese Centenarians in Chongqing
- Study type:
- Census-based, cross-sectional questionnaire survey of centenarians (age ≥100)
- Topic:
- Observed lifestyle patterns in Chinese centenarians
- Added:
- 2026-01-20
- Status:
- published
Strength of evidence
Very low – descriptive observational data in centenarians only, without any control group, validated diet measures or experimental manipulation; useful for hypothesis generation but unable to demonstrate causal effects of lifestyle on longevity.
Source
Li Y, Bai Y, Tao QL, et al. Lifestyle of Chinese centenarians and their key beneficial factors in Chongqing, China. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2014;23(2):309–314.
Open original studyThis census-based survey interviewed 878 people aged 100 years or older in Chongqing, China, about their lifestyle, diet, physical activity and family situation. Most centenarians were non-smokers and non-drinkers, reported fairly regular eating habits, engaged in light activity such as walking or housework, and lived in multigenerational family households. The authors suggest that a nutritious diet, adequate physical exercise and a harmonious family environment may be important for longevity, but the design does not allow any causal conclusions.
Key findings
- 878 centenarians (173 men, 704 women, mean age ~102 years) from Chongqing and surrounding counties were identified via ID cards and interviewed with a structured questionnaire.
- 91.6 % were non-smokers and 82.9 % were non-drinkers; smoking and alcohol use were more common in men than women, but did not differ significantly between urban and rural areas.
- 62.1 % reported a "regular diet" and 64.1 % said they had no strong food preference; 26.6 % preferred vegetables and 13.0 % preferred meat; only 11.2 % strictly avoided sweet, cholesterol‑rich and fatty foods.
- Physical activity was generally light: 23.0 % named walking as favourite activity, 32.3 % preferred resting, 17.2 % housekeeping; rural centenarians had more physical activities than urban ones.
- Most centenarians had several children and lived in families with 3–4 or more generations under one roof; many received financial support from their offspring.
- In self-care, 63.6 % could not take care of daily needs without help; dependence was higher in rural areas.
- The authors conclude that "a nutritious diet, adequate physical exercise, and a harmonious family environment may be the key lifestyle factors" behind the longevity of these centenarians.
Background
- Centenarians are often treated as models of "successful ageing", but large, detailed lifestyle surveys in this group are rare. China has a rapidly growing elderly population, and Chongqing in Southwest China has a substantial number of centenarians. Li and colleagues conducted a census-based study to describe the self-reported lifestyle of these centenarians and to identify factors that might be associated with their longevity.
Methods
- Researchers screened identification cards across nine districts of Chongqing City and 41 affiliated counties to identify all residents aged 100 years or older. Between September and December 2010 they interviewed 878 centenarians (173 men, 704 women, age 100–117 years, mean ~102). A structured questionnaire, based on previous national surveys, collected information on: demographics (age, sex, income sources, number of children, generations in the family, urban vs rural residence), lifestyle factors: smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, food preferences and general dietary habits, self‑care ability (independent vs dependent in daily activities). Most interviews were conducted directly with the centenarians; for those with severe cognitive impairment, caregivers answered on their behalf. The diet questionnaire had not been formally validated, and no quantitative nutrient intake was estimated. Data were analysed descriptively and with χ² tests for associations between variables such as gender, region and behaviours. Importantly, there was no control group of younger elderly or the general population, so the study cannot compare centenarians with non‑centenarians.
Results
- Demographically, about 70.5 % of centenarians lived in rural areas; most had multiple children, and the majority lived in families spanning three or more generations. Many received financial support from offspring or government allowances. Regarding health status and independence, 63.6 % could not care for themselves and needed help with daily activities. Rural centenarians were more likely to be dependent than urban ones; self‑care did not differ significantly across age bands within the centenarian group. In the domain of health behaviours: 91.6 % were non-smokers and 82.9 % were non-drinkers. Smoking and current alcohol use were more common among male than female centenarians but did not differ significantly between urban and rural residents. Many centenarians described their eating pattern as "regular" (62.1 %) and reported no particular food preference (64.1 %). Only 11.2 % said they strictly avoided sweet, cholesterol‑rich and fatty foods. Around one quarter preferred vegetables, and a smaller fraction preferred meat. Very few reported a strong preference for salty foods. Physical activity was generally light: 23 % named walking as their favourite daily activity, 32.3 % preferred to rest, 17.2 % did housework and 18.6 % liked chatting. Rural centenarians engaged more often in physically active tasks such as housekeeping and walking. Approximately half of the centenarians reported occasional social contact, 37 % often communicated with others, and 13 % said they never communicated with friends or neighbours. The authors interpret these patterns – little smoking and alcohol, mostly regular and not strongly salted diets, light physical activity, and large multigenerational families – as potential beneficial factors for longevity in this population.
Interpretation
- From a descriptive standpoint, S0036 offers a rare look at lifestyle patterns in a large census‑based sample of centenarians. It shows that many very old individuals in Chongqing: did not smoke or drink heavily, reported relatively simple, regular eating habits without extreme food preferences, engaged in light daily activity (walking, housework, chatting), and lived in multigenerational family structures with financial and practical support from offspring. However, several key limitations prevent any strong causal inferences: there is no control group of younger elderly, so we cannot know whether these patterns differ meaningfully from people who did not reach 100 years, behaviours were measured late in life and may not reflect earlier decades, the dietary instrument was not validated and provides no quantitative intake information, and all findings rely on descriptive statistics and simple group comparisons. Therefore, WorthDay treats S0036 as hypothesis‑generating only: it hints that non‑smoking, modest alcohol use, simple diets, light daily movement and strong family ties might be common among centenarians in this setting, but it does not prove that these factors caused their longevity.
Limitations
- Cross‑sectional, census-based survey with no comparison group of younger elderly or the general population; cannot establish which behaviours truly distinguish centenarians from others.
- Lifestyle data are collected very late in life; patterns may have changed over time, and survival bias is strong.
- Diet questionnaire was not validated and does not capture quantities or nutrient intakes; only broad categories and preferences are described.
- Many responses are based on self-report or caregiver report in a very old population, increasing recall and reporting bias.
- Main conclusions about "key beneficial factors" rely on association and speculation; the design cannot test causality between lifestyle and longevity.
- No direct hard endpoints beyond "being 100+" are analysed (e.g. disease incidence, functional status over time).
WorthDay perspective
- S0036 illustrates how weak most "blue zone" evidence actually is when you look at the methods: the study is observational, descriptive and lacks any control group. WorthDay can use it to teach users how to distinguish hypotheses from proven causal rules.
- For Health and Challenges & Sports, S0036 suggests that even very old people often combine light movement (walking, housework) with social contact and family support rather than extreme exercise programmes. Users can translate this into 10–25‑point daily actions such as gentle walks, housework, or visits with family, especially when starting from an inactive lifestyle.
- The study hints that not smoking, rarely drinking and avoiding very salty foods are common traits among these centenarians. WorthDay can present this as a hypothesis: users may experiment with CoDs and Elements that reduce smoking, alcohol and ultra‑salty processed foods, without promising specific longevity outcomes.
- The strong presence of multigenerational families and social support links S0036 to both Health and Social categories. WorthDay can encourage Social CoDs (e.g. 50‑point challenges to call parents, visit grandparents, or help an older neighbour) as part of a broader longevity‑friendly lifestyle.
- Overall, S0036 reinforces WorthDay's stance: long life is multi‑factorial, and simple, sustainable behaviours (light activity, basic diets, social support, no smoking) are reasonable experiments – but they should not be sold as guaranteed "secrets of centenarians".
Permalink: https://www.worth-day.com/science-compass/s0036-lifestyle-of-chinese-centenarians-in-chongqing
Related studies
Science meets practice