Well-being in Advanced Age

Older Maori who are engaged in cultural practices and connected to their traditional community have a higher quality of life, according to a ground-breaking study by researchers at the University of Auckland called, “Life and Living in Advanced Age; a Cohort Study in New Zealand”: Te Puawaitanga o Nga Tapuwae Kia Ora Tonu”. The study is the first large-scale, longitudinal cohort study of those in advanced age in New Zealand and the only longitudinal study of ageing that includes a large number of indigenous people. Time on a marae, frequency of marae visits and knowledge of culture were also shown to enhance well-being. Furthermore in comparison to non-Maori, older Maori are busier as they age. “We believe some of the results are already extremely useful for local planners and Government policy,” head of General Practice at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences Professor Ngaire Kerse said. “In general there were relatively low levels of depressive symptoms and high life satisfaction in our cohorts.”