Where Do Canadians Go When They Have Health-Related Questions?

Toronto, ON - According to a new survey conducted by Ipsos-Reid on behalf of Indigo, just over half (55%) of Canadians say they most often turn to physicians when they have health related questions. Two in ten (18%) turn to family and/or friends, 15% say the Internet, and 9% of Canadians say they most often turn to books when they have health related questions. The remaining 2% of Canadians "don't know" who they turn to with health related questions.

Just over half (54%) of Canadians say the most frustrating thing about getting answers to health related questions is "the amount of time it takes to get the right answers." Two in ten (22%) say "not knowing which sources are trustworthy or up to date", while just 9% say "not knowing where to start to find answers to your questions" is the most frustrating thing. Of the remaining Canadians, 13% say none of these issues is the most frustrating and 3% "don't know."

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/Indigo poll conducted from October 5th to October 7th, 2004. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1003 adult Canadian was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2001 Census data.

Given a list of sources, just over half (55%) of Canadians say they most often turn to physicians when they have health related questions.

• Canadians living in Atlantic Canada (62%) are more likely to say they most often turn to physicians when they have health related questions, followed by residents of Ontario (57%), Quebec (55%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (55%), Alberta (53%), and British Columbia (48%).

• Canadians aged 55 and over (69%) are much more likely than those aged 35-54 (57%) and those aged 18-34 (40%) to say they turn to physicians.

Two in ten (18%) turn to family and/or friends when they have health related questions.

• Those aged 18-34 (30%) are more likely than those aged 35 and over (13%) to say the source they most often turn to is their family and/or friends.

• Those with an annual household income of less than $30,000 (28%) are much more likely than those with $30,000 or more (16%) to say they turn to family and/or friends for health related questions.

One in seven (15%) Canadians say the source they most turn to for health related questions is the Internet.

• Younger Canadians aged 18-34 (21%) are more likely than Canadians aged 35 and older (12%) to say the Internet is the source they most often turn to.

One in ten (9%) Canadians say they most often turn to books when they have health related questions. The remaining 2% of Canadians "don't know" who they turn to with health related questions.

• There are no apparent demographic trends for this point.

Half (54%) of Canadians say the most frustrating thing about getting answers to health related questions is "the amount of time it takes to get the right answers."

• Residents of Ontario (60%) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (60%) are the most likely to say "the amount of time it takes to get the right answers" is the most frustrating thing about getting answers to health related questions, followed by those in Alberta (54%), Atlantic Canada (50%), Quebec (49%), and British Columbia (45%).

• Canadians aged 18-54 (56%) are more likely than those aged 55 and over (48%) to say the most frustrating thing about getting answers to health related questions is "the amount of time it takes to get the right answers."

Two in ten (22%) Canadians say "not knowing which sources are trustworthy or up to date" is the most frustrating thing about getting answers to health related questions.

• Younger Canadians aged 18-34 (31%) are more likely than those aged 35-54 (20%) and those aged 55 and older (15%) to say the most frustrating thing about getting answers to health related questions is "not knowing which sources are trustworthy or up to date."

One in ten (9%) Canadians say "not knowing where to start to find answers to your questions" is the most frustrating thing.

• Men (11%) are more likely than women (7%) to say "not knowing where to start to find answers to your questions" is the most frustrating thing about getting answers to health related questions.

One in seven (13%) of Canadians find none of these to be the most frustrating about getting answers to health related questions and the remaining 3% say they "don't know" which is the most frustrating thing.

Please open the attached PDF to view the factum and detailed tables.

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For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900