Some people loathe shopping. Some can't get to the mall fast enough.

Serious shoppers may have a leg up, though: A study has found that frequent shopping often corresponds to a longer life.

The study, conducted in Taiwan and published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, analyzed shopping habits of participants 65 and older. On average, it says, people who shop daily had a 27 percent less risk of death.

The study followed the group from 1998 to 2008 and compared the frequency of shopping with the participants' age of death. Daily shopping reduced the risk of death for men by 28 percent, and for women by 23 percent.

In addition, the study says, shopping improves "several dimensions of personal well-being" and contributes to "the community's cohesiveness and economy."

Moundsview resident Nancy Kluver, who was shopping recently in downtown Minneapolis, would agree. She says she often browses on her lunch hour.

"I don't even buy that much, but it's just sort of a lift," she said.

Kluver prefers calmer shopping spots, like downtown Minneapolis or Rosedale, to the Mall of America.

The study states that frequent shopping is an "economically relevant activity of the elderly" and "favorably predicts survival."

Alex Gaterud is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Star Tribune.