An appreciative inquiry into protective lifestyle factors for longevity

Abstract

As the United States ages, loneliness and associated health challenges increasingly surface. Loneliness has profound effects on health and well-being. Appreciative inquiry’s strengths-based emphasis on positive lived experience was applied to protocol design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. We then paired appreciative inquiry with grounded theory’s systematic, inductive approach to analysis, enabling us to develop actionable recommendations for educational programs supporting longevity. We conducted ten semi-structured interviews with older adults aged 80 and above. Themes were compared to the Blue Zones Power® Framework for context. The four I’s of appreciative inquiry: inquire, imagine, innovate, and implement were used as an interpretive lens for discussing key findings. Four themes emerged: purpose, relationships with family and friends, stress management, and keys to longevity. Participants highlighted how daily chores, caretaking, and spirituality contributed to life’s purpose. Spirituality also provided a sense of meaning and connection. Relationships were crucial, with strong social ties enhancing well-being and sense of purpose. When tied to spirituality, stress management strategies, including rest and recreation, were linked to perceptions of longevity. Maintaining a positive attitude and having a reliable support network were essential. Educational programs should adopt a holistic approach that integrates life purpose, spirituality, relationships, and stress reduction as a unified set of activities connected through the shared thread of social connection. Policymakers are encouraged to fund community-based initiatives that enhance social connection through reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. Senior centers and faith-based organizations should be empowered to implement such programs with rationale supported by empirical findings.

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