Illness and health behavior in septuagenarians

A random sample of septuagenarians was obtained by taking 400 consecutive names from a city birth register. Information regarding survival and present residence was acquired. The investigation comprised those septuagenarians who were still alive and had not moved abroad. The results showed that one-third reported no physical disease. Only half of those with physical disease considered themselves ill. Hypochondria was observed only in 3.9%, which contrasting with the high proportion of hypochondria in studies based on voluntary subjects. Active interest in physical exercise and a restrictive attitude to smoking and drinking correlated with health.