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Does Medical Risk Perception and Risk Taking Change with Age?
Yaniv Hanoch1, Jonathan J Rolison2, Alexandra M Freund3
1School of Psychology, Cognition Institute, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, UK.
Risk Analysis : an Official Publication of the Society for Risk Analysis
|September 24, 2016
Summary
Older adults take fewer medical risks for themselves, showing age impacts personal health decisions. This study explored medical risk-taking changes across adulthood using new scenarios and the Domain-Specific Risk-Taking Scale-Medical (DOSPERT-M).
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Gerontology
- Decision Science
Background:
- Medical decision-making becomes more complex with age.
- Understanding age-related changes in medical risk-taking is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in medical risk-taking behaviors.
- To examine factors influencing medical risk acceptance.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study with 317 adults aged 20-77 years.
- Utilized newly developed medical risk-taking scenarios.
- Assessed risk-taking using the Domain-Specific Risk-Taking Scale-Medical (DOSPERT-M).
Main Results:
- Higher perceived risk correlated with less active medical risk-taking.
- Older adults were less likely to accept medical treatments for themselves.
- Participants prioritized their children's health over their own.
Conclusions:
- Medical risk-taking behavior changes across adulthood, particularly for personal decisions.
- Age is a significant factor in accepting medical interventions for oneself.
- Perceived benefits and risks influence medical risk-taking decisions.
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