Public Consultation on Ageing Research (2006)
In the UK average life expectancy has grown dramatically over the last century – from 47 years in 1900 to around 80 years today. The growing number of elderly people in the population need to enjoy quality of life as well as longevity, which is why research into ageing-related disease is now a priority for the Government and for the MRC and other funders. This page describes a consultation we held in June 2006 to find out what the public’s views on ageing and related biomedical research.
Background to the consultation
In June 2006 we commissioned the MORI Social Research Institute to help us gain insight into public attitudes into ageing research, in partnership with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and under the banner of Research Councils UK. The initial survey involved three one-day workshops with 60 people aged 16 to 82 from a wide range of backgrounds. This was followed by an omnibus survey of over 2,000 people throughout the UK. The results were discussed with members of the public and other stakeholders at the MRC annual open council meeting on 26 June.
Key findings
What participants said was most important to them:
- 48% said research into preventing age-related conditions was most important to them personally.
- 29% said research into managing these conditions and how best to support and care for someone with them was most important.
- 18% said research into curing these conditions was most important.
What participants thought were the important factors when deciding how taxpayers’ money should be spent:
- Improving quality of life (56%)
- Preventing future problems (35%)
- Looking for cures (34%)
Find out more
Further information about the consultation is available in a final report Public Consultation on Ageing – Research into public attitudes towards BBSRC and MRC-Funded research on ageing.