Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors of Adults Aged 95 Years and Above and Their Relationship with Geriatric Syndromes.

PURPOSE: To examine the relationship of personality traits, lifestyle factors, and geriatric syndromes-including frailty, malnutrition, depression, cognitive status, fall risk, and sleep quality-in individuals aged 95 years and over.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 148 individuals (≥95 years) registered at three YAŞAM (Healthy Aging Center) polyclinics in Türkiye between February and October 2025. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews using sociodemographic questionnaires alongside the Katz ADL, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), ITAKI Fall Risk Scale, MUST, GDS-SF, PSQI, Mini-Cog, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI).

RESULTS

The mean age was 97.09±2.63 years (range: 95-109); 74.3% were women and 85.8% were widowed. Earlier regular exercise (reported by 26.4%) was significantly associated with longer functional independence, higher Katz ADL and Mini-Cog scores, lower fall risk (ITAKI), and lower frequencies of diabetes and incontinence. Frailty was prevalent among those with moderate-high comorbidity burden, while optimism and a calm temperament were associated with lower frailty, better cognitive status, and superior sleep quality. Depression and high fall risk were frequent, particularly among women and those with poor perceived health.

CONCLUSION

Psychological resilience (optimism) and lifelong physical activity appear to protect cognitive function, independence, and sleep quality in the oldest-old, whereas depression and inactivity are linked to frailty. These findings suggest that psychosocial factors and healthy lifestyle behaviors are critical components of longevity and should be integrated into geriatric care models and healthy aging policies.