Surprising new research has found that Aussies aged over 70 worry about their health less than 18 to 30-year-olds.
An independent, nationally representative survey commissioned by comparethemarket.com.au asked 1299 Australians if they had ever worried about contracting a disease or falling sick with any of the following illnesses: mental health conditions, cancer, thyroid problems, sexually transmitted diseases, autoimmune diseases, major organ conditions, blood pressure issues, Type 2 Diabetes, respiratory conditions and accidents from sports or fitness activities.
Surprisingly, only 66 per cent of over-70s worry about getting sick or injured, compared with 71 per cent of 18 to 30-year-olds.
However, more than half (58 per cent) of seniors admit to now being more anxious about falling ill than they did three years ago.
When asked which health conditions they worry about the most, 50 per cent of over-70s say cancer. More than two in five (41 per cent) admit they worry about health issues linked to their major organs, while 37 per cent are concerned about having problems with blood pressure.
Health expert at comparethemarket.com.au Anthony Fleming says: “Our research found that over-70s are most worried about conditions that worsen with age, such as major organ issues and blood pressure, while mental health is a bigger priority among the younger cohort.
“In contrast, seniors were the least concerned with their mental health across the age groups.
“Research has found that one of the leading causes of death for older Australians is coronary heart disease, so it’s unsurprising that major organ conditions remains a significant worry for those in the later stages of life.”
Across the whole respondent pool, the top three health conditions that concern Aussies the most are cancer (44 per cent of total respondents chose this as their top health concern), major organ conditions such as heart disease (26 per cent of respondents) and mental health conditions (23 per cent).
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