Senior Citizens Have Different Views on Embryonic Stem Cell Research

December 14, 2006 – A new survey shows a declining majority of Americans support embryonic stem cell research – 54 percent today, down from 58 percent last year. But, if those who hope for broader research in this are depending on support from senior citizens, they best throw in the towel. In this Virginia Commonwealth University Life Science Survey, covering a broad range of questions on advances in health technology and medicine, senior citizens are again at the extremes of almost every response – usually negative, usually conservative – even about questions where they probably have the most at stake.

Americans’ support for stem cell research has declined slightly, reversing a three-year trend, but an overwhelming majority paradoxically supports the use of such cells in pursuit of treatment for themselves or family members, according to the sixth annual survey released today.

The poll found that in tandem with the 54 percent of Americans who support embryonic stem cell research, 37 percent strongly or somewhat oppose it, up from 32 percent last year.

On the whole, how much do you favor or oppose medical research that uses stem cells from human embryos—Do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose this?
	2006	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001
Strongly favor	23%	27%	24%	17%	12%	17%
Somewhat favor	31%	31%	29%	30%	23%	31%
Somewhat oppose	17%	14%	14%	21%	22%	21%
Strongly oppose	20%	18%	22%	23%	29%	22%
Don’t know	6%	7%	7%	6%	11%	7%
No answer	2%	4%	4%	3%	4%	2%

Senior citizens, tend to be right on target with other adults in the percent that "Strongly Agee" with stem cell research but there is a gigantic gap when it comes to the percent that "Strongly Disagree." The closest age group to seniors are the baby boomers, with 20% strongly disagreeing with stem cell research, but a strong 30% of seniors were adamantly against it.

On the whole, how much do you favor or oppose medical research that uses stem cells from human embryos?
Age	Strongly Agree	Somewhat Agree	Somewhat Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don't Know	No Answer
18-29	11%	37%	30%	15%	6%	2%
30-44	25%	32%	14%	18%	8%	2%
45-64	30%	29%	15%	20%	4%	2%
65+	23%	25%	13%	30%	7%	1%

Also this year, when asked if they would support the use of embryonic stem cells in order to pursue treatment for themselves or family members afflicted with a condition such as Parkinson’s disease or a spinal cord injury, 70 percent said they would support the use of embryonic stem cells, compared with 68 percent in 2005. Twenty-one percent said they would not support the use of embryonic stem cells to treat these conditions, compared with 17 percent in 2005.

Age	Yes	No	Don't Know	No Answer
18-29	77%	15%	6%	2%
30-44	72%	21%	5%	2%
45-64	68%	24%	6%	2%
65+	60%	26%	10%	3%

Did senior citizens agree?

Yes, there was a strong swing to approval of stem cells on this more personal question, but only up to 60% - the fewest of any age group that would support the use of embryonic stem cells, even to pursue treatment for themselves or family members.

VCU polling expert David J. Urban, Ph.D., director of the Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory in the Center for Public Policy, said the apparent inconsistency in survey respondents’ opposition to stem cell research but their support for the technology if it would help them or a family member is the result of bringing the issue to a personal level.

Urban said the results for most every question on the survey, with the exception of opinions on embryonic stem cell research, remained consistent with the previous five years of polls. He said this year’s election may have had an impact on the results of the question dealing with the type of stem cell research holding the most promise for treatment of disease, but not on the other results.

The poll also found that the number of Americans who said that research using stem cells from other sources held the greatest promise for discovering new treatments for disease fell to 25 percent from 37 percent in 2005.

Embryonic stem cell research was indicated by 22 percent of the respondents for holding the greatest promise, up from 14 percent in 2005, and 17 percent believed that adult stem cell research offered the greatest promise, up from 7 percent in 2005.

In your opinion, which do you think offers the greatest promise for discovering new treatments for disease: embryonic stem cell research; adult stem cell research; or research using stem cells from other sources, such as an umbilical cord?
Age	Embryonic stem cell	Adult stem cell	Stem cells from other sources	All three are equal	None of these	Don't Know	No Answer
18-29	22%	19%	32%	4%	3%	19%	0%
30-44	27%	16%	19%	3%	1%	29%	5%
45-64	21%	17%	26%	4%	2%	26%	4%
65+	12%	18%	26%	4%	4%	29%	6%

Views on embryonic stem cell research continue to be related to views on abortion and religion, according to the poll.

In terms of Americans’ opinions on abortion, the biggest change in the survey was among people who feel abortion should be illegal in all circumstances. Seventy-seven percent of these people oppose research using stem cells from human embryos, compared with 18 percent in favor.

These percentages were 64 percent and 17 percent, respectively, in 2005.

The results show a corresponding reduction in the number of “don’t know” and “no answer” responses between 2005 and 2006. In other words, Urban said, “people who feel abortion should always be illegal are more likely to express a definite negative view toward embryonic stem cell research this year.”

By contrast, those who feel abortion should always be legal are in favor of stem cell research by a 76 to 17 percent majority, similar to the 77 to 16 percent spread in 2005.

Which of these comes closest to your views about abortion?
Age	Always Legal	Sometimes Legal	Always Illegal	Don't Know	No Answer
18-29	35%	44%	18%	1%	2%
30-44	40%	46%	12%	1%	1%
45-64	41%	42%	15%	0%	1%
65+	30%	49%	16%	3%	2%

How do senior citizens feel about abortion?

Although fewer seniors than other adults think abortion should always be legal, the combined opinions of those who think it should always be legal and those who think it should be sometimes legal, is pretty much in line with younger adults at 79%.

In addition, 68 percent of all people who say that religion is not an important part of their life say they are in favor of embryonic stem cell research. In contrast, 40 percent of people who say that religious beliefs provide a great deal of guidance for their day-to-day living are in favor of embryonic stem cell research.

The 2006 survey also showed that opposition to human cloning remains strong, but is softening, with 79 percent of Americans either somewhat or strongly opposed to human cloning, compared with 81 percent in 2005, and 83 percent in 2004.

Again, senior citizens are at the extreme of the survey, but they are not as opposed to human cloning as are younger people. Only 76% of seniors are somewhat or strongly opposed. Maybe it is a more intriguing idea for those of us sliding down the hill.

The technology now exists to clone or genetically alter animals. How much do you favor or oppose allowing the same thing to be done in humans?
Age	Strongly Favor	Somewhat Favor	Somewhat Oppose	Stongly Oppose	Don't Know	No Answer
18-29	6%	18%	23%	51%	2%	1%