For half of the Italian population it is important to take care of health, but there is an unprecedented peak also among the younger generations who, perhaps for the first time in history, worry about it as much as their parents. A legacy of Covid, which probably certainly changed the very concept of health: physical, mental and relational (affective and social). A multi-dimensional concept whose weight changes across generations. This is what emerges from research carried out by Luiss (Luiss Research Center – A closer look across generations'.
“The concept of health has changed due to age – underlines Michele Costabile, director of the Luiss – X.Ite research center on technologies and market behavior – The types of health that receive attention and generate anxiety, with different intensities, have multiplied for different generations. We have therefore examined these differences in depth to suggest to attentive companies, such as Merck, but also to institutional decision makers, how to address the different generational sensitivities towards different forms of health. We are faced with an exponential change in the technologies that the healthcare supply chain makes available, also and above all on consumer markets. Understanding the expectations, resistance, fears and hopes of consumers increasingly differentiated by age (and generations) is therefore a necessary step to ensure that the potential of technological innovation translates into social value and greater health and well-being”.
The systematic analysis of existing studies was complemented by data collection, conducted between January and February 2024 on 3 thousand interviewees, which addresses a wide range of health-related topics and consumer trends – for example, health status, openness towards new technologies, sources of information – highlighting how different generations adapt their health behaviors based on their values and needs. “Our commitment to a sustainable future – observes Ramon Palou de Comasema, president and CEO of Healthcare of Merck Italia – goes beyond simply listening to the needs of different generations: it represents an invitation to all create a healthier, more inclusive society together is happy. To do this, it is important to encourage dialogue and the exchange of experiences between different generational groups: in this way we can bridge any distance and generate a virtuous mix of knowledge and visions capable of creating invaluable value. Through understanding, discussion and collaboration, we want to promote an approach to health that responds to the needs of each generation.”
Health is understood above all as physical health (30%) and mental health (24%) – we read in a note – An important part is played by family well-being (21%) while the role of social and professional well-being is more limited (13% and 12%). A difference between the older and younger generations concerns the importance attributed to the different health components: if for boomers (60-70 years) and generation in first place, when we move on to generations Y (28-43 years) and Z (18-27 years) mental, social and professional well-being are certainly among the most considered aspects for feeling healthy.
Important generational differences are also found in the evaluation of one's health status. If the state of mental and social health for older generations is considered good, the same cannot be said for younger generations, who instead report better physical health, with the exception of the consequences of Covid. The pandemic has in fact affected the health of young people the most: 35% of generation Z declared that Covid has greatly influenced the perception of their health compared to 22% of Boomers. Overall, post-pandemic Italians are increasingly attentive to their health. For the majority, it addresses is capable of directing one's choices, present and future, in an alliance between balanced nutrition, sleep and self-care, to a greater extent by the older generations compared to the younger ones.
Psychological therapy and a break from technology are health needs most frequently felt by younger generations. Taking a break from technology is a more frequent necessity among Gen Y (59.5%) with similar proportions for Gen X and Gen Z, 56.5% and 50% respectively. Attitudes towards technology vary across generations and for different types of technology. More than half of the interviewees expressed a favorable opinion on the use of electronic medical records (61%) and wearable devices (51%), while less frequent were favorable opinions on the use of telemedicine (45%) and artificial intelligence (39%). ). In general, older generations tend to be less ready to use new technologies in health care. The generational gradient is more marked for the use of artificial intelligence (accepted by 45% of Gens Z and 30% of Boomers) and wearable devices (58% and 42%), compared to telemedicine (45% and 40% d) and electronic medical records (65% of Gens Z and 55% of Boomers).
A point in common for all – the note reports – is the source of health information. Around 75% of those interviewed say they first turn to their GP or specialist for information about their health. Percentage that rises up to 88.3% for the most senior respondents (Boomers) and reduces to around 70.8% for Generations Y and Z. The second most used source in Italy is the Internet, despite it being considered very or extremely reliable by only 16.7% of the sample. Only the Boomer generation seems to favor the pharmacist looking for information online.
With respect to the reliability assessments of the sources, the generations agree in considering the pharmacist very or extremely reliable, second only to the general practitioner or specialist. On the contrary, the Internet is considered little or not at all reliable by 40.3% of those interviewed. This percentage increases for the boomer generation (49.1%), and progressively decreases up to Gen Z (35.7%). Only Gen Z, however, claims to use Chat Gpt (5.7%) more than traditional media such as radio and television (4.6%). Gen Y (15.8%), Gen Z (14%), Gen
Finally, social media is the source of information considered least reliable by all respondents (65%). A strong point of the research was the analysis of the Alpha generation, those born after 2010, whose perception on the topic of health had not previously been explored in depth by the analyzes conducted on the national territory. According to the parents of the Alpha generation (6% Gen Z, 45.2% Gen Y, 45.7% Gen family and social, and finally by academic success. Gen 33.6% of Gen Alpha parents believe that the pandemic has greatly influenced their child's perception of health and the integration of artificial intelligence, telemedicine, wearable devices and electronic medical records for their children is viewed more favorably than for themselves themselves.
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