Health Care Key Findings – Nov/Dec 2009
Bullets:
- Almost three in 10 Americans (29%) say that the recession added stress or completely ruined their romantic relationships, compared to 24% of the French, 23% of Canadians, and 12% of Germans.
- More than one-third of cell phone users (38%) have sent a text message to the wrong person, and 37% report that a text they sent was misunderstood by the reader.
- Most workers (64%) don’t know how much their employer pays towards their health insurance each month, and 27% don’t know what they themselves pay.
More Bullets…
Heavy Mobile Web Users
The US mobile Internet population is growing rapidly. For example, some 29.2% of mobile phone users logged onto the mobile Web at least once per month in 2009, compared to 22.3% in 2008. Many of these are considered heavy users: those who go online via mobile more than 10 times per week.
One in five (21%) US mobile users qualify as heavy mobile Internet users in 2009, up from less than 15% in 2008. In addition, the overall average number of monthly mobile Web sessions has doubled in that time period.
Heavy users of text messaging and mobile e-mail have also grown over the past year; nearly one-half of mobile users text more than 10 times weekly, while one in five send and receive more than 10 mobile e-mails per week.
Overall, users are becoming more active across many mobile activities except in non-local searches for products and services. Almost one-fifth of users, however, had performed a local search. The following chart offers details on these trends.
Online Consumer Reviews Drive Sales
The majority of Americans (84%) say that consumer reviews influence their purchase decisions. Contrast this with how many have written reviews (28%) to see how much influence a few hold on this process. One-half of the 84% say they rely on these reviews during the first stage of the buying cycle. The most popular sources are company websites (71%), online rating systems (57%), and government/consumer advocacy sites (54%).
Defining Sustainability
Some 75% of Americans buy the same amount or more sustainable products than they did a year ago, despite the economy. Overall, 88% are interested in sustainable products, while only 56% say they actually understand sustainability. The chart below offers Americans’ definitions of sustainability.
Global Warming Concerns Growing
Eighty percent of Americans believe that global warming is occurring. Most say (65%) it is the combined result of human activity and the earth’s natural cycling, while 20% say it is entirely the result of a natural cycle. Almost all (95%) say there are actions they can take to reduce their own energy consumption. Most Americans (69%) think that reducing their energy use would not affect their lives, while 20% say it would improve their quality of life, 6% say it would decrease their quality of life, and 5% say they are unsure of the effects.
Women Using Social Media
According to BlogHer, most online adult women (53%) use social media at least once a week. Of these, 75% use a social networking site such as Facebook at least weekly, 55% read or contribute to blogs, 40% visit message boards or forums, and 16% use status updating sites such as Twitter.
Women using online social media at least once a week are:
- Married or living with their significant other (60%)
- Mothers (44%)
- College graduates (33%)
- Wealthy (household income of $100,000 or more) (11%)
- Invest time in searching for new products/ideas online (72%)
- Describe themselves as on the leading edge of something new (40%)
- Claim to be technically savvy (58%)
- Say they are sources that others seek out for advice (60%)
Family Time Down Due to Internet
From 2000 to 2005, Americans spent an average of 26 hours a month with family. However, by 2008, family time had dropped to 18 hours a month. More than one-quarter of online Americans (28%) are spending less time with family members since they have had an Internet connection at home, up from 11% in 2006.
Other survey findings by the Center for the Digital Future include:
- 35% of high income households are spending less time together.
- 28% of family members say children under 18 are spending too much time online, up from 11% in 2000.
- Women (49%) are more likely than men (39%) to say they have been ignored by a family member who was online.
Chronic Health Conditions Not Being Treated
Chronic conditions such as hypertension, arthritis and diabetes, account for 75% of medical care costs in the U.S. Most of these individuals are living with pain (71%) and are under significant stress (65%). One-half (50%) also suffer from depression periodically. Some 25% of those dealing with a chronic illness have delayed getting a healthcare treatment or filling a prescription for financial reasons in the past year, with 38% not having the money to do what it takes to improve their health. The proportion rises to 63% of Hispanics and 58% of Blacks. Overall, 59% of individuals with four or more chronic conditions also lack the financial means to improve their health.
Americans Multitasking Habits
According to a study by Experian Simmons, Americans fit 38 hours worth of activity into a 24-hour day. They most commonly multitask while watching TV. The average person spends three hours a day watching TV, and 72% of those are spent also using another medium. The most typical activities are surfing the web (27%), using their cell phones (26%) and emailing (23%).