Most Americans want to know the secrets to living and feeling younger

Washington, DC, October 19, 2022 – A new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of MDVIP finds three quarters of Americans describe their overall health and well-being as excellent (17%) or good (58%). The majority of Americans also agree that they would like to take steps to live healthier for longer (87%), and that they want to know the secrets to living and feeling younger than their calendar age (70%). However, few pass MDVIP’s Health IQ Quiz, indicating minimal knowledge about common health risk factors.

Detailed Findings   

1. Few respondents say they are familiar with the term “health span” (35%), particularly those ages 45-64 (29%) and those ages 65+ (14%).

• When asked to think about how their lifestyle habits have changed since COVID-19, Americans report doing mostly the same thing they’ve always done: 70% say they’ve kept up with preventive health screenings the same as before, 69% say the same for keeping up with doctor appointments. In addition, 58% say they’ve consumed about the same amount of alcohol and 58% say they’ve been getting about the same amount of sleep.
• About a third of Americans say they have worried more about their mental health (31%), their physical health (31%), and 29% have tried to exercise more. Younger Americans are more likely to say they have exercised more (36%), compared to only 15% of those 65+. The same is the case for worrying about their mental health, 41% of those 18-44 have worried more than before the pandemic, compared to only 13% of those ages 65+.

2. Over two in five Americans say they feel like they have aged faster during the pandemic (45%), particularly those ages 18-44 (53%, compared to 44% of those 45-64 and 32% of those 65+).

• Two-thirds of those who are ages 45 or older say they wish they could turn back the clock to reclaim their prime years (65% of those ages 45-64 and 63% of those ages 65+). Three-quarters of those who are ages 18-44 wish they could stop the clock to extend their prime years (75%).
• Over half of Americans also say they would like to live to the age of 100 or older (53%) and that their own mortality is something that they think about often (56%). Fifty-three percent also say they are afraid of getting old/losing their youthfulness.
• Three in five feel like they have a lot of control over how long they live (60%) and about two-thirds say that they want to live longer than their parents or other family members (67%).
  • Only 55% of Americans are confident that they will live longer after all, and 66% are concerned about inheriting the same health issues their parents/family have or had.

3. Three in 10 Americans (30%) say they have used anti-aging products to try to manage the effects of aging, and 32% said they haven’t but would consider doing so. Those ages 18-44 (32%) and those ages 45-64 (36%) are more likely to have used these kinds of products, than those 65+ (22%).

• Over half of Americans have also taken vitamins/supplements for longevity, such as turmeric and Omega-3s (58%), while only one in 10 say they haven’t and wouldn’t consider it (11%).
• Two-thirds of Americans have also completed brain games/activities such as online games, crossword puzzles, and card games (66%).

4. Over half of Americans (54%) say they have discussed diet and nutrition with their primary care doctor over the last two years, and 52% say they have discussed vitamins/supplements. While 45% has discussed sleep habits, and 46% have discussed stress/anxiety. However, only 30% say they have discussed aging well or living longer with their doctor.

• Americans are most likely to currently rely on their primary care doctor for help tracking or managing their health (43%). Over one-third (36%) of Americans also say they currently rely on at least one type of health-related app like brain health/mental health apps, meditation apps, sleep apps, and nutrition apps. Overall, 56% currently use a health app or have done so in the past; this is driven primarily by those ages 18-44 (71%).

5. The final portion of the survey asks several healthcare knowledge questions, particularly related to various risk factors that can shorten Americans’ lives. Nearly all Americans received a below average score on this “quiz”.

• Only slightly over one-quarter of Americans are able to correctly surmise that most major heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol levels (27%).
• Only 30% of Americans know that hearing loss can increase your risk of dementia, only 35% of Americans know lack of sleep can reduce the size of the brain, and only 19% know that consuming just one glass of beer or wine a day can also shrink the brain.
• Overall, 74% of Americans failed this quiz, while only 4% received a grade of “B” or higher.

About the Study   

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between September 6-7, 2022, on behalf of MDVIP. For this survey, a sample of 1,003 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii was interviewed online in English.

The sample for this study was randomly drawn from Ipsos’ online panel, partner online panel sources, and “river” sampling and does not rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. Ipsos uses fixed sample targets, unique to each study, in drawing a sample. After a sample has been obtained from the Ipsos panel, Ipsos calibrates respondent characteristics to be representative of the U.S. Population using standard procedures such as raking-ratio adjustments. The source of these population targets is U.S. Census 2019 American Community Survey data. The sample drawn for this study reflects fixed sample targets on demographics. Posthoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, and education.

Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online non-probability polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points for all respondents. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility interval adjusted for design effect of the following (n=1,003, DEFF=1.5 adjusted Confidence Interval=+/-5.3 percentage points).

For more information on this news release, please contact:     

Annaleise Lohr 
Director, US   
Public Affairs   
+1 760 583 2093    
[email protected]  

About Ipsos   

Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing over 18,000 people.   

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