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It may come as old news to many women, but it seems a bit of retail therapy really is good for you.
A day at the shops can help you live longer, says a study.
And surprisingly, the benefits are actually greater for men.
The study even suggests the long-term survival benefits of shopping are better than going to the gym.
Seeing friends and just people-watching can stave off loneliness and improve psychological health, suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
It looked at almost 1,850 people aged 65 and over living independently at home in Taiwan, who were asked how often they went shopping.
The researchers then tracked how long each of the participants lived by linking individuals to national death registration data between 1999 and 2008.
They found those who shopped daily lived longer than those who shopped less frequently, even after taking account of people’s physical or other health problems.
Going to the shops every day cut the chances of a participant dying during the period of the study by more than a quarter compared with those who don’t shop regularly.
Older men who frequently popped out to the shops had the best survival record, with a reduction of 28 per cent in their chances of dying, while older women saw slightly less benefit with a 23 per cent cut in dying.
Researchers led by Dr Yu-Hung Chang at the National Health Research Institutes, in Zhunan, Taiwan, accept that those who shopped regularly may have been in better health to begin with.
They said: 'An elder who shops less for food would be at risk of poorer diet quality necessary to maintain health. A vicious cycle that involves limited shopping and poor diet could evolve for elders.'
But the study added: ‘In shopping venues, socialising with, or watching others can provide social and mental benefits.
‘Compared with other types of leisure-time physical activity, like formal exercise, which usually requires motivation and sometimes professional instruction, shopping is easier to undertake and maintain.
参考译文：
这对许多女人来说也许不是什么新闻，但是逛街似乎确实对人有好处。
一项研究称，在商店里逛上一天可以让你更长寿。
令人意外的是，事实上逛街对男人的益处更大。
该研究还显示，长期来看，逛街比健身还更有助于长寿。
这一发表在《流行病学与公共卫生杂志》网刊上的研究表明，见见朋友或光是看看路人就可以排遣寂寞，改善心理健康。
该研究调查了台湾1850名在家中独立生活且年龄在65岁以上的老人，了解他们出去购物的频率。
研究人员还通过跟进1999年到2008年间台湾死亡登记资料，了解每位参与者的寿命。
研究人员发现，在将这些人的身体状况、疾病等因素考虑在内的情况下，那些每天都出去购物的人比那些不经常购物的人寿命更长。
在参与调查的人当中，每天都去商店购物的人在研究进行过程中死亡的几率比那些不定期购物的人要低25％以上。
经常逛街的老年男性寿命最长，逛街使他们的死亡率降低了28%。相比而言，逛街对老年女性的益处则相对小些，能使她们的死亡率降低23%。
研究人员承认，那些定期购物的人也许原本身体就比较好。该研究的领头人是位于竹南的台湾卫生研究院的张宇宏（音译）医生。
他们说：“一个不经常外出购买食品的老年人，他的膳食质量可能无法达到维持健康所需的标准。这将造成恶性循环，一方面不常购物导致饮食不良，而饮食不良又会限制老年人的出行。”
不过研究补充说：“在购物场所，和人交谈，或是看看其他人也可以丰富社交生活，有益心理健康。
“其他的休闲体育活动，如正规的锻炼通常需要动力才能坚持，有时还需要专业指导，相比之下，逛街则更容易进行，也更容易坚持下去。”
