Age Proud Quiz

1. What percentage of British adults report experiencing prejudice based on their age?

11%26%52%

Nope - try again.

Correct!

“Ageism can be experienced by people at any age. In line with previous research, a higher proportion of British adults reported experiencing prejudice based on their age (26%) than on any other characteristic.”

(Developing a National Barometer of prejudice and discrimination in Britain, Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2018)

2. The word ‘ageism’ was first used by:

Robert ButlerYoko OnoNorman Wisdom

Not them - have another go.

Yes, and the other two also had things to say about getting older.

Butler, an American physician and author, first coined the term ‘ageism’ in 1969 and he defined ageism as:

“[a] process of systematic stereotyping or discrimination against people because they are old, just as racism and sexism accomplish with skin colour and gender. Ageism allows the younger generations to see older people as different than themselves; thus they subtly cease to identify with their elders as human beings.”

Yoko Ono once said: “Some people are old at 18 and some are young at 90. Time is a concept that humans created.”

Norman Wisdom once said: “As you get older three things happen. The first is your memory goes, and I can’t remember the other two.”

3. What is the annual net contribution that older people are making to the UK economy?

£27million£40billionThey aren't contributing to the economy

It's surprising but that is not the correct answer, guess again.

Yes!

Far from being a financial pressure on society, older people are making an annual net contribution of £40 billion to the UK economy (i.e., net of the costs of pension, welfare and health support) and by 2030 this is forecast to rise to an estimated £77 billion.

(A New Narrative on Ageing, EngAgeNet, 2018)

4. How many people aged 50+ said growing older had been "very or mainly positive" in a recent study?

60%48%23%

More than you think! Try again.

You're right.

60% of people responded that growing older has been very or mainly positive and just 7% very or mainly negative.

(Age is just a Number, Centre for Ageing Better, 2018)

5. Research shows that people who have a positive attitude to growing older will:

Live on average 2 years longer than those with more negative attitudesLive on average no extra years than those with negative attitudes - attitudes to ageing don’t affect life expectancy.Live on average 7.5 years longer than those with more negative attitudes

Positive age beliefs seem to have a greater effect than we might expect - have another go.

It's true!

People with positive age beliefs live seven and a half years longer on average, and recent studies suggest they are less likely to develop dementia.

(That Age Old Question, RSPH, 2018)

6. The term ‘millennial’ refers to people born during which period?

1965-19801981-19961997-2015

"Millennial" has become one of those things we assume we understand but never really think about. Another guess?

Yes

These are commonly accepted groups, as defined by the Pew Research Centre: The Silent Generation: born 1928-1945
Baby Boomers: born 1946-1964
Generation X: born 1965-1980
Millennials: born 1981-1996
Post-Millennials: born 1997-2015

7. What percentage of 25-34 year olds feel that they have been discriminated against for being too young?

25%50%75%

More!

Yes!

Of course, age discrimination cuts both ways. Three quarters of those aged 25-34 felt that they had been discriminated against for being too young.
(The Perennials, Ipsos MORI, 2019)

8. At what age do we start to show an awareness of ageist stereotypes?

6 years old8 years old10 years old

Try again - a key feature of ageism is that it starts young.

Yes

A key feature of ageism is that it starts young. Children as young as six years old can show an awareness of ageist stereotypes, and the majority of children display overwhelmingly negative attitudes to the notion of getting older.

(That Age Old Question, RSPH, 2018)

9. What percentage of people have friends who are at least 15 years older than them?

25%45%65%

Close - but not correct.

Yes

Less than half (45%) overall of those surveyed said they had friends who are at least 15 years older than them.

Only a third stated that they had friends who are at least 15 years younger than them.

Those who do not have peer relationships with those in different generations may then struggle to understand what it is like to be older, or younger.

(The Perennials, Ipsos MORI, 2019)

10. What percentage of people want to mix with different ages and generations?

17%62%83%

More..

Yes

According to work undertaken by the Age of No Retirement, four in five (83%) want to mix with people of different ages and generations. This is perhaps driven by the fact that the same proportion agree that they are not like everyone else in their age group.

(The Perennials, Ipsos MORI, 2019)

11. People who hold positive beliefs about old age are less likely to develop dementia than those who hold negative age beliefs, but by how much?

10%38%50%

Evidence says it is more than that.

Yes

Research has shown that older people who have acquired positive beliefs about old age from their surrounding culture are less likely to develop dementia. This protective effect was found for all participants, as well as among those carrying a gene that puts them at higher risk of developing dementia

(Positive age beliefs protect against dementia even among elders with high-risk gene, Levy et al, 2018)

12. In Hollywood films, what percentage of dialogue is spoken by people over 65?

Less than 5%Less than 10%Less than 20%

Keep talking..

Yes

Representation matters; you cannot be what you cannot see... According to a study by Polygraph, at age 65 – around the age which we know from our research that the public identifies as ‘old’ – men get just 5% of the lines and women 3%.

(The Perennials, Ipsos MORI, 2019)

13. In a recent survey, 30% of people believed that “being lonely is just something that happens when people get old”. In comparison, current estimates by the Campaign to End Loneliness showed what percentage of over 65s are lonely all or most of the time?

10%22%36%

Try again

Yes

By thinking that ageing will be a negative process, people will have a more pessimistic vision of their own future and expect to face difficulties in their daily lives and relationships as they age. This then manifests itself as stress, depression and anxiety. These attitudes not only damage our health, but can also lower levels of engagement in preventative and health-promoting activities.

(The Perennials, Ipsos MORI, 2019)

14. In a recent poll of over 50's, how many believe they have been turned down for a job because of their age?

12%20%33%

Try again

Yes

The Centre for Ageing Better recently polled over-50s about work and found that:

A quarter have been put off applying for jobs as they sound like they’re aimed at younger candidates.
A third believe they have been turned down for a job because of their age.
One in five think people at work see them as less capable as they get older.

15. On turning 60, which celebrity said: "People have always been trying to silence me for one reason or another, whether it's that I'm not pretty enough, I don't sing well enough, I'm not talented enough, I'm not married enough, and now it's that I'm not young enough.”

Kate BushMadonnaPatti Smith

Nope

Yes

Madonna turned 60 in 2018 and said “now I'm fighting ageism, now I'm being punished for turning 60."

16. In a recent analysis of older people’s incomes in England, how much worse off are older black people per week, on average, compared to older white people?

£18£59£100

The difference is greater - try again

Yes

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people aged 50-70 are more likely to be in the poorest fifth of the population in England compared with White people. Despite this, (…) Black people in their 50s and 60s are more likely to be working – with White people in this age group three times more likely to have retired – suggesting people from these groups are more likely to be in low paid jobs and/or to have less access to other sources of income, such as pension savings and assets.

https://www.ageing-better.org.uk/news/ethnic-inequalities-among-over-50s-revealed-new-research

17. Compared to older heterosexual people, are older Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual people more or less likely to experience poor self-rated health?

More likelyAs likelyLess likely

No

Yes

New analysis, based on data from 24 different surveys, demonstrates that the odds of lesbian, gay, or bisexual men and women experiencing poor self-rated health are around 1.2 times higher than for heterosexual people, with poor self-rated health being a strong predictor of future mortality.

https://ilcuk.org.uk/raising-the-equality-flag-health-inequalities-among-older-lgbt-people-in-the-uk/

18. On average, which of these groups is more likely to report feeling ‘often or always’ lonely?

Disabled people aged 16-24Disabled people aged 35-49Disabled people aged 65 and over

No, try again.

It's younger people who report feeling lonely most often.

Yes

The proportion of disabled people (13.3%) who report feeling lonely “often or always” is almost four times that of non-disabled people (3.4%), with the greatest disparity for young adults, aged 16 to 24 years old.

32.1 % of Disabled 16-24 year olds reported feeling lonely “often or always” compared to 16.7% of Disabled 35-49 year olds and 4.8% of Disabled over-65s.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/disability/bulletins/disabilitywellbeingandlonelinessuk/2019

19. What is the most common mental health condition experienced by older people?

DementiaDepressionAnxiety

No - something else

Yes

Depression is the most common mental disorder in older people. However, symptoms can be distinctly different to depression in young adults, and it is often missed. The risk factors for depression include physical health problems, female gender, loneliness, life events (particularly bereavement) and loss of independence.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/practice-primer.pdf

20. What proportion of people aged 50-64 in England and Wales are carers?

10%15%20%

More...

Yes

A briefing from Carers UK estimates that one in five people aged 50-64 – over 2 million people – are carers and that almost 1.3 million people in England and Wales aged 65 or older are carers. Whilst the total number of carers has risen by 11% since 2001, the number of older carers rose by 35%.

A New Narrative on Ageing, EngAgeNet, 2018

21. Fauja Singh is believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner. At what age did he run his last competitive 10KM?

9599101

Try again!

Yes

Fauja Singh, who worked as a farmer in Punjab before moving to the UK in 1992, is famed for being a centenarian marathon runner. He ran his first London Marathon in 2000 and he has beaten a variety of world records in multiple age brackets.

He went on to complete a further eight London Marathons and he is believed to be the oldest marathon runner in the world. His last competitive race was a 10km run in Hong Kong when he was 101 years old.

22. How much of every £1 spent in the UK is spent by a person over 50?

37p54p72p

More like about half of every £ spent

Try again to see how many billions of pounds are spent by older people!

Yes

The next decades will see huge growth in consumption by older people – as there are more older consumers and they spend more on average. Spending by older consumers will rise from 54% (£319 billion) of total consumer spending in 2018 to 63% by 2040 (£550 billion).

Maximising the longevity dividend, ILC, 2019

23. In the UK, at what age do people report the highest levels of personal wellbeing?

15-2935-4965-79

No

(a clue: older = more reported personal well-being!)

Yes!

A report by the Office for National Statistics which analysed personal well-being data for over 300,000 adults in the UK, collected over 3 years between 2012 and 2015, found that: ‘those aged 65 to 79 tended to report the highest average levels of personal well-being.’

24. Who is the world's oldest and longest reigning living monarch?

Queen Elizabeth IIQueen Margrethe II of DenmarkKing Carl XVI of Sweden

Someone else

Yes

Queen Elizabeth II is now the world's oldest and longest-reigning monarch. During her reign, she has travelled more widely than any other British monarch and in her nineties still carries out a full programme of events that ranges from hosting Heads of State to visiting schools.

25. What percentage of over 75 year olds volunteer at least once a month?

12%18%24%

No

It's more

Yes

The UK Civil Society Almanac 2017 states that 41% of 65-74 year-olds volunteer at least once a year and 31% at least once a month, whilst for the over 75s the figures are 32% and 24% respectively – and these do not include small community based groups and not for profit organisations.

(A New Narrative on Ageing, EngAgeNet, 2018)