Table 2

Time trend of older peoples' attitudes as a response towards two end-of-life scenarios

Age category	Euthanasia: ‘Could you imagine that you would ever ask your physician to end your life?’^*				End-of-life pill: ‘Could you imagine that you would ever like to have such a pill?’^* ^†
Age category	2001–2003 (%) N=1284	2005–2006^‡ (%) N=1303	2008–2009^‡ (%) N=1245	OR^§	2001–2003 (%) N=1284	2005–2006^‡ (%) N=1303	2008–2009^‡ (%) N=1245	OR^§
All respondents ≥64 years
Yes	54	59	63	1.21 (1.13 to 1.29)	31	32	40	1.22 (1.13 to −1.30)
No	46	41	37		69	68	60	1.22 (1.13 to −1.30)
64–74 years	N=697	N=740	N=695		N=697	N=740	N=695
Yes	58	64	70	1.30 (1.17 to 1.44)	31	33	45	1.37 (1.23 to 1.52)
No	42	36	30		69	67	55	1.37 (1.23 to 1.52)
75–84 years	N=434	N=420	N=416		N=434	N=420	N=416
Yes	51	54	56	1.11 (0.97 to 1.26)	32	32	35	1.05 (0.92 to 1.21)
No	49	46	44		68	68	65	1.05 (0.92 to 1.21)
85 years	N=153	N=143	N=134		N=153	N=143	N=134
Yes	45	45	50	1.07 (0.85 to 1.34)	33	30	33	0.99 (0.78 to 1.26)
No	55	55	50		67	70	67	0.99 (0.78 to 1.26)

↵* The question as presented to the respondents.
↵† In the original questionnaire, this question was asked straight after the question as presented in the online appendix: ‘Should a suicide pill (‘Drion pill’ or ‘last wish pill’) to end your own life become available for older people who are tired of living, without having a severe disease?’.
↵‡ From 2005 on, the data of two different cohorts are combined.
↵§ Logistic regression analysis using generalised estimating equations; analysed for the whole respondent group and for different age groups separately for the three time periods. The increase or decrease in likelihood of answering ‘yes’ in each time period with 2001–2003 as the reference period.