Brouwers Sam J, Janssens Georges E, Spiegel Tali
Department of Sociology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Laboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Front Aging. 2024 Nov 5;5:1440661. doi: 10.3389/fragi.2024.1440661. eCollection 2024.
Geroprotection is an emerging field of research focused on devising strategies for combating the mechanisms of ageing. This study held three aims: 1) to explore the willingness to utilise five different geroprotective measures (i.e., exercise, supplements, intermittent fasting, metformin, and rapamycin use), 2) to explore whether the willingness differs based on respondents' sociodemographic characteristics and 3) to explore the association between trust in medical institutions and willingness to utilise different geroprotective measures.
A questionnaire was used to assess the attitudes of a sample of the Dutch population by way of both convenience and snowball sampling (final N = 178). Descriptive data and bivariate correlations were used in the analyses.
Relatively high social acceptance of both exercise (66%) and supplements (82%) was found, whereas intermittent fasting (30%), metformin (26%), and rapamycin (10%) were less supported. Males were significantly more likely to be open to exercise and women to supplement use. Trust in medical institutions correlated significantly with the willingness to start metformin.
Exploratory research can only provide a first step in understanding the social acceptance of geroprotection measures. Nevertheless, this study clearly illustrates more well-known measures promoted by public health policy are also more accepted and used. Public health campaigns could consider the sex differences in the uptake of exercise and supplements, and future research may want to delve deeper into the role of facilitating trust relations between medical institutions and the public in promoting the use of geroprotective drugs.
老年保护是一个新兴的研究领域，专注于制定对抗衰老机制的策略。本研究有三个目标：1）探究使用五种不同老年保护措施（即运动、补充剂、间歇性禁食、二甲双胍和使用雷帕霉素）的意愿；2）探究这种意愿是否因受访者的社会人口学特征而异；3）探究对医疗机构的信任与使用不同老年保护措施的意愿之间的关联。
通过便利抽样和滚雪球抽样，使用问卷对荷兰人群样本的态度进行评估（最终样本量N = 178）。分析中使用了描述性数据和双变量相关性分析。
发现运动（66%）和补充剂（82%）的社会接受度相对较高，而间歇性禁食（30%）、二甲双胍（26%）和雷帕霉素（10%）的支持率较低。男性对运动的接受度明显更高，女性对补充剂的接受度更高。对医疗机构的信任与开始使用二甲双胍的意愿显著相关。
探索性研究只能为理解老年保护措施的社会接受度提供第一步。然而，本研究清楚地表明，公共卫生政策推广的更为人熟知的措施也更被接受和使用。公共卫生运动可以考虑运动和补充剂使用方面的性别差异，未来的研究可能希望更深入地探讨促进医疗机构与公众之间的信任关系在推广使用老年保护药物方面的作用。
