The Role of Age and Gender in Perceived Vulnerability to Infectious Diseases
The Role of Age and Gender in Perceived Vulnerability to Infectious Diseases
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DOI：
10.3390/ijerph17020485
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发表时间：
2020-01-02
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Zueco, Jesus
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Diaz, Amelia;Belena, Angela;Zueco, Jesus
背景资料：免疫系统的研究有两种不同的途径，生物免疫系统和行为免疫系统。最近，Gangestad和Grebe提出了一种独特的综合补偿免疫系统，两个系统一起工作，其中一个可以在必要时补偿另一个。然而，很少有研究证实这种整合的补偿性免疫系统的存在。我们的研究试图探索这种独特的免疫系统的存在，调查当生物免疫系统随着年龄的增长而减弱时，行为免疫系统变量是否会增加。材料和方法。横断面设计研究由1108名年龄在18-64岁的参与者（45.2%男性和54.2%女性）的最终样本组成。年轻群体（18-21岁）由学生组成，而年长群体（22至64岁）则由他们的亲戚和熟人组成，遵循滚雪球过程。参与者完成了对疾病易感性的感知问卷，该问卷评估了感知的传染性和细菌厌恶。进行相关性、方差分析（ANOVA）和独立组比较。这些分析显示了所研究的变量之间的关系，年龄和性别对感知传染性和细菌厌恶的影响，以及感知传染性和细菌厌恶在不同年龄组中的差异。结果如下：出现了一种模式，即随着男性和女性年龄的增长，对细菌的厌恶程度会增加，但到50岁时，感知的传染性会下降，然后从50岁开始，女性的传染性会增加。性别差异仅在年轻参与者中显着，女性在两个变量中的得分均高于男性。结论：部分结果支持存在一个独特的整合补偿性生物/行为免疫系统。
Background: The study of the immune system has been approached using two separate paths, the biological immune system and the behavioral immune system. Recently, Gangestad and Grebe proposed a unique integrated compensatory immune system, where both systems work together and one of them could compensate for the other when necessary. However, few studies have confirmed the existence of this integrated compensatory immune system. Our study represents an attempt to explore the existence of this unique immune system, investigating if the behavioral immune system variables increase when the biological immune system weakens with age. Material and Methods. The cross-sectional design study was made up of a final sample of 1108 participants (45.2% men and 54.2 women) aged 18-64 years. The younger group (18-21 years) was made up of students, whilst the older groups (22 to 64 years) were composed by their relatives and acquaintances, following the snow ball process. The participants completed the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire that assesses perceived infectability and germ aversion. Correlations, analyses of variance (ANOVAs), and independent group comparisons were performed. These analyses showed the relationships between the variables studied, the effects of age and gender in perceived infectability and germ aversion, and the differences that perceived infectability and germ aversion presented in different age-groups separated by gender. Results: A pattern emerged where germ aversion increases as both men and women get older, but perceived infectability decreases up to the age of 50, and then it increases in women from that age onward. Gender differences are only significant in younger participants, with women having higher scores than men in both variables. Conclusion: The results partially support the existence of a unique integrated compensatory biological/behavioral immune system.