Fewer (45%) Canadians Scheduling Regular Physical Checkups, Down 4 Points in 4 Years

Toronto, ON - Fewer than half (45%) of Canadians say they `regularly' go to the doctor for a complete physical or check-up, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of RBC Insurance. In fact, the proportion of Canadians regularly scheduling physicals is down 4 points since a similar poll conducted in 2007.

While women (49%) are more likely than men (41%) to say they're regularly scheduling physicals with their doctor, the gap is closing: the proportion of females who are doing so has dropped 10 points in four years, while the proportion of men doing so has risen by two points in the same timeframe.

While men are still less likely to schedule regular physicals, among those that have had a physical in the last five years, men (51%) are more likely than women (41%) to say that at their last physical their doctor advised them to make changes to their lifestyle, such as their eating, exercise or smoking habits. Among those who were given advice, just two in three (67%) indicate that they took their doctor's advice - men and women equally - while one in three (33%), admittedly, did not take the advice that they were given.

Among those who didn't take their doctor's advice, the most common reason why they didn't was that they didn't have the willpower (63%) to follow it through, while others maintain that a lack of time (14%), past failed attempts (12%), not believing they needed to change (11%), not believing everything that their doctor says or some other reason (18%) was why they did not follow their doctor's advice advice.

Focusing on men - since they're less likely to be scheduling regular physicals - it appears that man would rather endure some other activities than visit their doctor for a complete physical or check-up. Six in ten (61%) would rather take their wife, girlfriend or female relative to a shopping mall, while others would rather clean the bathroom (23%), get a facial or pedicure (20%), watch two hours of soap operas (18%) or undergo a root canal (5%).

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between October 20 to 25, 2011, on behalf of RBC Insurance. For this survey, a sample of 2,282 Canadians from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Sean Simpson
Associate Vice President
Ipsos Reid
416.572.4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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