Roughly half have used an at-home test, but sociodemographic disparities seen in use<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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WEDNESDAY, Oct. 19, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Nearly half of U.S. adults aged 50 to 80 years (48 percent) have ever bought an at-home medical test, with nearly one-third (32 percent) having bought an at-home COVID-19 test, according to a new report from the National Poll on Healthy Aging.<\/p>\n
The poll, conducted in July 2022 both online and via phone, included results from 2,163 U.S. adults aged 50 to 80 years.<\/p>\n
The researchers from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, found that nearly all participants (92 percent) agreed that test results should be shared with the person s doctor or other provider, but among those who actually have bought and used a home test for an infection (COVID-19, HIV, or a urinary tract infection), only 55 percent shared their result with their primary care provider. White and Hispanic older adults were more likely than Black older adults to have bought a COVID-19 test (33 percent, 33 percent, and 20 percent, respectively). Participants with higher levels of education, with higher-income households, and who were married or partnered were more likely to have bought an at-home medical test. Of the 82 percent who expressed interest in taking a future at-home test, 70 percent were interested in a COVID-19 test, 56 percent were interested in cancer-related tests, and 43 percent were interested in tests for other types of infection. <\/p>\n
Home tests can be a convenient way for older adults to check if they have an illness, such as COVID-19, Indira Venkat, senior vice president of AARP Research, said in a statement. But consumers should make sure they know whether the test they are taking is [U.S. Food and Drug Administration]-approved, and how their health or genetic information might be shared. <\/p>\n