Relative poverty and short lifespan constitute unexpected predictors of centenarian and supercentenarian status, and support a primary role of fraud and error

From Supercentenarians and the oldest-old are concentrated into regions with no birth certificates and short lifespans by Saul Justin Newman.  From the Abstract.  

The observation of individuals attaining remarkable ages, and their concentration into geographic sub-regions or ‘blue zones’, has generated considerable scientific interest. Proposed drivers of remarkable longevity include high vegetable intake, strong social connections, and genetic markers. Here, we reveal new predictors of remarkable longevity and ‘supercentenarian’ status. In the United States, supercentenarian status is predicted by the absence of vital registration. The state-specific introduction of birth certificates is associated with a 69-82% fall in the number of supercentenarian records. In Italy, which has more uniform vital registration, remarkable longevity is instead predicted by low per capita incomes and a short life expectancy. Finally, the designated ‘blue zones’ of Sardinia, Okinawa, and Ikaria corresponded to regions with low incomes, low literacy, high crime rate and short life expectancy relative to their national average. As such, relative poverty and short lifespan constitute unexpected predictors of centenarian and supercentenarian status, and support a primary role of fraud and error in generating remarkable human age records.

Good work.

Three of four decades ago I recall reading an account in the International Tribune of the challenge in Japan of people keeping deceased aged relatives on the bureaucratic records for improbable stretches of time.  

Vox has an article as well.  Many of the “oldest” people in the world may not be as old as we think by Kelsey Piper.  The subheading is A new paper explores what “supercentenarians” have in common. Turns out it’s bad record-keeping.

Just imagine all the tracts, books, dietary fads, etc. predicated on the misunderstanding of who is actually old.  I hold the dictum that all knowledge of contingent dear but my goodness.  Maybe it needs updating to, all knowledge is extremely contingent.  

And Mary Pat Campbell has very good coverage in The Sentinel Effect, Centenarians, and Pension Fraud  The subheading is The secret of a long life? Lying about your age! Or who you are!