The Japanese Centenarian Study: autonomy was associated with health practices as well as physical status.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of centenarians who have preserved activities of daily living (ADLs) and good cognitive and psychosocial status in Japan.

Design: Census-based survey.

Setting: Cross-Sectional Investigation of Half of All Japanese Centenarians Study, 2000.

[Preservation of quality of life and its relation to lifestyle in centenarians in Japan: a visitation interview survey].

Purpose: To investigate quality of life (QOL) and associated factors in centenarians, we conducted a visitation interview survey for all male and one half of the female centenarians living in Japan, and studied QOL, lifestyle and health status.

Methods: All the male centenarians and a randomly-sampled half of the female centenarians living in Japan were included in the study based on the National Census. Finally, 556 male and 1341 female centenarians participated in the present visitation interview survey and were studied using a structured questionnaire.