Sunday Times 2
Now there’s no excuse not to do the dishes
There are usually few things people want to do less than housework.
But while scrubbing the dishes and dusting the shelves can seem like an inconvenient chore, a new study has revealed just how important they are to well-being.
Pupils do the washing-up in the kitchen at Chavagnes International College western France (Reuters)
In fact, scientists now believe cleaning the home is more vital to mental and physical health than other factors, such as the area you live in or how much you earn.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University say the benefit of housework is because of the exercise it takes to get the job done, which in turn impacts mental health.
‘House cleaning kept them up and moving,’ said Dr Kathy Wright, at the university’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. ‘A clean environment is therapeutic.’
Dr Wright and a research team wanted to find out how income, education, environment and health behaviours, like smoking and exercise, influence an older person’s health.
The study’s 337 participants, from 65 to 94 years old, had to have at least one chronic illness and be enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid.
They also had to have physical restrictions that prevented them from doing at least one basic daily task, such as bathing and dressing.
Dr Wright said she was surprised to learn that housework and maintaining their property affected the participants’ physical and mental well-being more than such factors.
‘What I found was that neighbourhood poverty did not directly affect mental or physical health,’ she said.
The study provided evidence that Wright had observed in her visits: people living in a chaotic environment seemed less satisfied than those in a place that was neat and tidy.
Wright hopes the study shows how important it is for older adults with disabilities and chronic illnesses to continue physical activities, such as doing reaching exercises while sitting, arm curls and standing up and sitting down in a chair.
© Daily Mail, London