Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40787639›Full record

ArticleJournal of aging research2025

Searching for a Potential Blue Zone in the Nordics: A Study on Differences in Lifestyle and Health in Regions Varying in Longevity in Western Finland.

Sarah Åkerman, Dorly Deeg, Erika Boman, Johan Niklasson, Yngve Gustafson, Fredrica Nyqvist

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of aging research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Sarah ÅkermanSocial Policy, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6020-7343
Dorly DeegDepartment of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1131-6855
Erika BomanDepartment of Nursing, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3989-609X
Johan NiklassonDepartment of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Geriatric Medicine, Sunderby Research Unit, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5050-3720
Yngve GustafsonDepartment of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0999-377X
Fredrica NyqvistSocial Policy, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6554-8040

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

To delay social and healthcare utilisation among the ageing population, there is an increasing focus on the role of health-promoting lifestyle adopted at an individual and/or community level. Longevity is generally viewed as the ultimate outcome of health, although a high life expectancy does not necessarily go together with health and/or a health-promoting lifestyle. The potential coherence between longevity, health and lifestyle may vary in different cultural, political, social and economic contexts. This Nordic regional study situated in regions differing in longevity aims to (i) explore differences in adherence to the comprehensive, health-promoting Blue Zone lifestyle principles in four regions in Western Finland (bilingual Ostrobothnia, Swedish-speaking Åland and Finnish-speaking South Ostrobothnia) and (ii) investigate regional differences in health. Thus, the present study aims to examine if adherence to Blue Zone lifestyle principles and good health is highest in the most longevous region. Survey data from the Gerontological Regional Database in 2021-2022 were used. Marginal means were calculated using ANOVA. The results showed that Åland, Finland's most longevous region, showed the best health and higher environmental agreeableness, while deviated from several Blue Zone lifestyle principles. Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnia showed good health and adherence to the Blue Zone lifestyle. South Ostrobothnia showed the poorest health but as much adherence to the Blue Zone lifestyle as Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnia. Finnish-speaking Ostrobothnia deviated the most from the Blue Zone lifestyle. The findings imply that Nordic longevous regions do not necessarily adhere to the Blue Zone lifestyle. Future research incorporating individual, community and societal factors could further elucidate whether and how longevity, lifestyle and health are interconnected in different ethnolinguistic contexts to further advance the understanding of healthy ageing and improve the implementation of effective health-promoting initiatives.

Indexed as

ethnolinguisticFinlandhealthlifestylelongevityNordic

Identifiers

PMID40787639
PMCPMC12335905

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.