Read Books to Live Longer

“hurry up, we’re dreaming!” byDennis’ Photography is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.No changes were made to this work. Looking for a healthy pastime to get through the winter months? Why not try… curling up with a good book! A recent study published in the September issue of the journal of Social Science and Medicine found a correlation between book reading and longevity. The research team behind the study, based at the Yale University School of Public Health, looked at the reading habits of a group of 3,635 adults over the age of 50 and tracked their survival rate over a 12 year period. The team observed a 20% reduction in mortality for those who read books compared to those who didn’t, as well as an advantage for reading books of any level over other types of reading material such as newspapers and magazines. The authors suggest that reading just 30 minutes per day, or about a chapter a day, can have a positive impact on your lifespan regardless of your gender, health, education or economic status. As to why reading helps extend readers’ lives, the study points to two cognitive processes involved in reading books. The first is cognitive engagement as the reader makes connections within the book and to the outside world and formulates questions about the content. Books also promote empathy, social perception, and emotional intelligence. Both of these processes can lead to better health behaviors and reduced stress. For more information, see the study a...
Source: Network News - Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Tags: Public Health Source Type: news