Health lifestyle and mental health status among older adults: A latent class analysis
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Problem considered While individual health behaviors are known to affect health in later life, evidence on relationship between health lifestyle behaviors and mental health among older adults remains limited. This study examined the association between health lifestyle patterns and mental health among older adults in developing countries. Methods This study analyzed cross-sectional data from 7,897 participants aged ≥60 years in the WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE). Six lifestyle behaviors (including smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep, and diet) were examined using Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to identify health lifestyle patterns and their associations with cognitive function, perceived stress, and depression. Results Four lifestyle patterns were identified: healthy (28.0%), poor sleep (30.2%), smoking and drinking (26.8%), and high-risk (14.9%). Compared with other groups, the healthy lifestyle group showed better cognitive function, lower perceived stress, and a lower likelihood of depression, whereas the high-risk group exhibited the poorest mental health outcomes. Conclusion This study suggests that adhering to a healthy lifestyle may improve the mental health of older adults at risk, such as their cognition, stress and depression. It recommends interventions such as quitting smoking, limiting drinking, and reducing sedentary behavior, increasing physical activity and sleep time, as well as maintaining a balanced diet to support overall well-being in older populations.
Authors: Juanxi Cheng, Shiliang Chen, Yanjie Zhang
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,000
Award: G1500794696
OpenAlex ID: W7128025503