Who are the superheroes? A cross-sectional study on the determinants of good health among Italian older adults

Background People who reach old age enjoying good physical and mental health can be defined as (health) “superheroes”, given their relatively low impact on healthcare expenditure and the desirable model they represent. Aim To evaluate prevalence and possible determinants of being “physical superheroes” (i.e., free from the ten major chronic conditions, plus obesity), “mental superheroes” (i.e., free from major mental symptoms), and “superheroes” (i.e., both mental and physical superheroes). Methods A telephone-based cross-sectional study (LOST in Lombardia) was conducted in November 2020 (i.e., during the COVID-19 pandemic) on a representative sample of 4,400 adults aged ≥ 65 years from Lombardy region, northern Italy. All participants provided both current data and data referring to one year before. Results Mental and physical superheroes were 59.0% and 17.6%, respectively. Superheroes were 12.8% overall, 15.1% among men, and 11.1% among women; 20.2% among individuals aged 65–69 years, 11.3% among 70–74, 10.0% among 75–79, and 8.3% among ≥ 80 years. Multivariable analysis showed that female sex, higher age, disadvantaged socio-economic status, and physical inactivity ( p for trend < 0.001) were inversely related to being superheroes. People not smoking (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 1.40), alcohol abstainers (aOR = 1.30), and those free from feelings of hopelessness (aOR = 5.92) more frequently met the definition of superheroes. During COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of superheroes decreased by 16.3%. Conclusions Differences in the older adults’ health status are largely attributable to their lifestyles but are also likely due to gender, educational, and socio-economic disparities, which should be properly addressed by public health policies.