Target Your Middle-Aged Population: It’s Never Too Late

February 16, 2012

One of the biggest excuses by those ages 45-60 for unhealthy habits is “it’s too late for me.” A classic study published in The American Journal of Medicine (July 2007) helped put that myth to rest. “Turning Back the Clock: Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle in Middle Age” followed 15,708 participants for over 6 years.

The study focused on 4 healthy habits:

• Consuming at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
• Exercising at least 2½ hours/week
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Not smoking.

At the beginning of the study 1344 people were engaged in all 4 healthy behaviors; during the study period another 970 people newly adopted the behaviors (others improved but did not reach compliance with all 4). The fully compliant group reduced their chances of heart disease by 35% and their risk of dying prematurely from all causes by 40%. Further, people who had fewer than 2 healthy habits at the start of the study, but adopted 1 more healthy behavior by the end, reduced risk of dying prematurely from all causes. This suggests that even modest lifestyle improvement in middle age can have a significant health impact.

So what should health promoters do with this information? Use it to reach your constituents. Here are some ideas:

• Conduct an “It’s Never Too Late” campaign. Looking at average workforce demographics, many people you serve likely fall between ages 45 and 64. Help them (and everyone else) understand it is never too late. Use information from this study to make your point.
• Target your health promotion efforts. In the study, the adopters of all 4 healthy habits were most likely to be older, non-African American female, more educated, higher income, with no history of hypertension or diabetes. Focus on attracting this most easy to reach group as a first step.
• Plan special strategies to reach the more difficult groups. The study indicated that men, African Americans (both genders), people without a college education, lower-income individuals, and those who already had hypertension or diabetes were less likely to participate in healthy habits after age 45. Divide and conquer these groups by developing unique strategies to reach each one.
• Be assertive in your programming. It’s difficult to get people of any age to adopt and adhere to healthy behaviors. Remember, of the study participants, only 8.5% were observing all 4 healthy habits at the study onset, and only an additional 6.2% adopted them during the study. Passive health promotion efforts are not likely to reach those in need; assertive initiatives have a better chance.

Head researcher for the study, Dr. Dana E. King, said, “We want to emphasize that it’s not too late to change, and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle don’t accrue only to people who have been doing this all along, but you can make changes in your 50s and 60s and have a healthier, longer life because of it.”

With this information you can focus your energy on what may be the majority of people eligible for your health promotion program — middle age participants. The message is clear: they will achieve results by making even modest healthy behavior changes. It’s never too late.