Study compares Wisconsin’s health patterns to nation’s relevant and timely topics
Milwaukee, Wis. – Driven by a commitment to helping people live better, healthier lives, today Aurora Health Care, Wisconsin’s largest health care provider, released its new Quarterly Health of Wisconsin Report.
The report gauges consumer sentiment on health topics that matter in the lives of people every day and compares Wisconsin’s survey responses with those of the nation. Conducted by Research Now, it surveys some 1,500 adults ages 18 and older across Wisconsin and the United States.
“As an organization that works daily to help people live well, we wanted to create a program that allows us to better understand how consumers across Wisconsin and nationally feel about a variety of timely health-related topics,” said Anne Martino, vice president of Consumer Insights and Innovation at Aurora Health Care. “Through the Quarterly Health of Wisconsin Report, our hope is to help identify consumer health gaps on different topics, and, ideally, begin to drive innovation that can help close these gaps through more effective care.”
The initial Quarterly Health of Wisconsin Report highlights how people feel regarding fall and early winter topics, including the seasonal influenza (flu) and health habits during the holiday season. (Note: Infographics on the findings available.)
The study revealed that Wisconsin residents and people nationally are not drastically concerned about getting the flu. Specifically:
Only one in four Wisconsin residents expressed concern about getting the flu this season, compared to one in three nationally.
Only one in four Wisconsin residents expressed concern about getting the flu this season, compared to one in three nationally.
Nearly six in 10 people in Wisconsin indicated they may or will get an annual flu shot, yet three in 10 both nationally (29%) and in Wisconsin (31%) say they will avoid flu shots all together.
62 percent of Wisconsin residents 55 years of age and older plan to get a flu shot annually, versus only 31 percent of people in the state ages 18 to 34, and 37 percent ages 35 to 54.
“It’s interesting to see how many people both nationally and in Wisconsin avoid getting their flu shot and appear to feel somewhat invincible,” noted Martino.
Changing Health Habits during the Holidays
Beyond the flu, the report highlights how consumers may modify their general wellness activities during the holiday season.
43 percent of Wisconsin residents say they eat poorer during the holidays, versus 35 percent of nation.
24 percent of Wisconsin resident indicate they exercise less during the holiday season, versus 19 percent of participants nationally.
Women in Wisconsin show greater concern then men towards their eating habits (50 versus 36 percent), stress levels (40 versus 22 percent) and depression (21 versus 12 percent) during the holiday.
To see related infographics, learn more about Quarterly Health of Wisconsin Report, or for additional study insights, visit www.aurora.org/healthreport. The margin of error for the study is +/- 3.6 percent.
Aurora Health Care is a not-for-profit Wisconsin-area health care provider and a national leader in efforts to improve health care quality. Aurora offers services at sites in more than 90 communities throughout eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Aurora is Wisconsin’s most comprehensive health care provider and the state’s largest private employer. Aurora serves more than 1.2 million patients every year via a comprehensive network of facilities, services and providers, including 15 hospitals, 159 clinics, 70 pharmacies and 30,000 amazing Caregivers. As evidenced by more than 400 active clinical trials, Aurora is dedicated to delivering innovations to provide the best possible care today, and to define the best care for tomorrow. Get helpful health and wellness information via the Aurora MyHealth blog, our Facebook page, our Twitter account and our Pinterest account.
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Contact:
Matt Braun
(414) 299-1547
matthew.braun@aurora.org