Lifelong Learning Linked to Healthier Aging and Better Quality of Life in Older Adults

Older adults who attend classes at a University of the Third Age score substantially higher on measures of healthy aging and quality of life than their peers who do not, according to a cross-sectional study published in BMC Geriatrics. The finding, drawn from 297 Turkish adults aged 60 and over, adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that structured lifelong learning may be one of the most accessible levers for promoting wellbeing in later life.

The University of the Third Age, or U3A, is a worldwide network of educational cooperatives designed specifically for people who have reached or passed retirement age. Unlike formal universities, U3A programs typically carry no entry requirements, no examinations, and no degrees. Their purpose is intellectual and social engagement: courses in languages, art, history, technology, and health are taught in a low-pressure, peer-driven environment. The model began in France in the 1970s and has since spread to dozens of countries, making it one of the most widespread community-based educational initiatives for older adults.

Researchers from Mardin Artuklu University, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, and Bursa Uludag University set out to determine whether U3A students differ measurably from community peers in two key dimensions of later life: healthy aging, as captured by the Healthy Aging Instrument, and quality of life, measured with the CASP-19 scale designed for older people. The Healthy Aging Instrument assesses the multidimensional character of aging well, while CASP-19 evaluates four domains reflected in its acronym: Control, Autonomy, Self-realization, and Pleasure.

The study enrolled 146 U3A students and 151 older adults not enrolled in the program, with a mean age of 68.51 years and a standard deviation of 5.21. Participants completed a participant information form alongside the two validated instruments. The researchers applied descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test for between-group comparisons, chi-square tests for categorical variables, Spearman’s correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression to probe the relationships in the data. The reporting followed STROBE guidelines for observational studies.

The results were consistent across every comparison. U3A students recorded significantly higher total and subscale scores on both the Healthy Aging Instrument and CASP-19 than older adults outside the program, with p values below 0.05 for all comparisons. The two constructs were themselves connected: a moderate positive correlation emerged between healthy aging and quality of life, with a Spearman’s rho of 0.559 and a p value below 0.001. In practical terms, older adults who scored higher on one dimension tended to score higher on the other.

The most important analytical step came next. Because U3A students and non-students may differ systematically in ways that have nothing to do with the program itself, the researchers used multiple linear regression to adjust for eight sociodemographic and health-related variables: age, gender, marital status, education level, chronic disease status, self-rated health status, cigarette or tobacco use, and regular health check-ups. Even after this adjustment, U3A student status remained independently associated with both healthy aging and quality of life, with p values below 0.001. The association was not explained away by who the students were before they enrolled.

The authors caution, however, that the cross-sectional design places a hard limit on interpretation. The data capture a single moment in time, so it is impossible to determine whether U3A enrollment causes better aging outcomes, whether healthier and more satisfied older adults are simply more likely to seek out such programs, or whether both dynamics operate at once. Reverse causation and self-selection remain live possibilities that only longitudinal or experimental designs could resolve.

Nevertheless, the findings align with a broader scientific consensus on what constitutes healthy aging. The World Health Organization frames healthy aging as the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age, a definition in which psychological, social, and environmental factors carry as much weight as physical health. Lifelong learning touches nearly every element of that framework: it provides cognitive stimulation, structured social contact, a sense of purpose, and opportunities for self-realization that retirement can otherwise erode.

The study also carries practical implications for public health planning. As populations age rapidly across Europe, Asia, and beyond, community-based interventions that are inexpensive and scalable become increasingly valuable. U3A programs require no medical infrastructure and no pharmaceutical input; their costs are largely organizational. If the associations observed here are confirmed prospectively, the authors suggest that U3A programs could reasonably be considered within the scope of community-based healthy aging initiatives, sitting alongside physical activity promotion and social prescribing as tools available to municipalities and health systems.

For now, the message for older adults and their families is one of cautious encouragement. The study, published open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license, was approved by the Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee and conducted with written informed consent from all participants. It received no specific external funding. Its central observation, that older adults engaged in structured learning report healthier aging and better quality of life even after accounting for their health and demographic profiles, offers a compelling reason for policymakers to invest in educational opportunities for the third age, and for older adults themselves to consider whether a classroom, however informal, might be a worthwhile place to spend the years ahead.

Subject of Research: Healthy Aging

Article Title: Healthy aging and quality of life in University of the Third Age students versus community peers: a cross-sectional study

Article References: Healthy aging and quality of life in University of the Third Age students versus community peers: a cross-sectional study. (n.d.). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-026-08514-3

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12877-026-08514-3

Keywords: healthy aging, quality of life, University of the Third Age, lifelong learning, older adults, BMC Geriatrics, Healthy, aging, quality, life, University, Third