Centenarians in Barbados: The Importance of Religiosity in Adaptation and Coping and Life Satisfaction in the Case of Extreme Longevity

The high prevalence of centenarians in this developing Caribbean nation prompted an investigation of the factors associated with longevity in this culturally unique cohort. This paper presents qualitative data from in-depth interviews with a sub-sample of centenarians (n = 25) selected from the larger, census-based centenarian study (N = 60). Interview transcripts were coded by assigning labels to segments of text, which were utilized to describe major themes. Findings suggest that religion and spirituality were an integral part of the lives of the respondents. High levels of religiosity were apparently positively related to successful adaptation and coping and high levels of life satisfaction in the lives of these centenarians, which may have in turn, contributed to their longevity.