title: Attitudes towards personal genomics among older Swiss adults: An exploratory study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore attitudes of Swiss older adults towards personal genomics (PG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Using an anonymized voluntary paper-and-pencil survey, data were collected from 151 men and women aged 60-89 years attending the Seniorenuniversität Zurich, Switzerland (Seniors' University). Analyses were conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One third of the respondents were aware of PG, and more than half indicated interest in undergoing PG testing. The primary motivation provided was respondents' interest in finding out about their own disease risk, followed by willingness to contribute to scientific research. Forty-four percent were not interested in undergoing testing because results might be worrisome, or due to concerns about the validity of the results. Only a minority of respondents mentioned privacy-related concerns. Further, 66% were interested in undergoing clinic-based PG motivated by the opportunity to contribute to scientific research (78%) and 75% of all study participants indicated strong preferences to donate genomic data to public research institutions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates a relatively positive overall attitude towards personal genomic testing among older Swiss adults, a group not typically represented in surveys about personal genomics. Genomic data of older adults can be highly relevant to late life health and maintenance of quality of life. In addition they can be an invaluable source for better understanding of longevity, health and disease. Understanding the attitudes of this population towards genomic analyses, although important, remains under-examined.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Auguste-Piccard-Hof 1, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland; Institute for Public Health Genomics, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mählmann
authors.affiliation: University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich, Andreasstrasse 15/Box 2, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Röcke
authors.affiliation: Institute for Public Health Genomics, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Auguste-Piccard-Hof 1, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ernst
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hafen
authors.affiliation: Health Ethics and Policy Lab, Institute of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention, University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Effy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vayena
keywords: Attitudes of older adults; Ethics; Personal genomics; Personalized medicine; Privacy; Research participation