Kawachi and colleagues find living with a purpose may lessen physical decline with age

Tracking HRS data on physical functioning, health, and well-being among 4,500 Americans over the age of 50, Ichiro Kawachi and colleagues found that having a higher purpose-in-life score was linked to better grip strength and walking speed over the study period. The researchers say: “Our study suggests that purpose in life may be one promising and novel upstream factor that serves as a target for improving not only mental health but physical function as well.”