Health & Mental Health in New Zealand
People are most likely to say they hear of GLP-1 drugs (a group of medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes and as a weight-loss treatment), which go by brand names like Ozempic or Mounjaro, through social media. We explore the social media conversations around GLP-1s and how the drugs, which are only available via prescription, are being used and marketed as a way for “healthy” people to keep the weight off.
They are now being talked of as just another part of the weight loss toolkit. In much the same way you would go to the gym. The online narrative is not being driven by the pharma industry or traditional healthcare providers, but shaped by online voices. Understanding perceptions, or perhaps misperceptions, around healthcare has never been more important.
Health, like many aspects of society, is becoming more politicised and, coupled with this, traditional sources of knowledge such as doctors and the pharma sector, have less influence. In our Ipsos Global Trends work, two thirds say they always try and find out information on healthcare by themselves, rather than just relying on what their doctor tells them.
Nowhere within health is this politicisation more apparent than in vaccines. Misinformation around vaccinations is being spread by some of the most influential voices around the world. We see falling support in many countries for compulsory vaccines for infectious diseases.
Key findings in the New Zealand edition of the Health Service Report include:
- New Zealanders are much more likely to think the level of care they get is good vs bad. Just over half (51%) rate the quality of the healthcare they have access to in NZ as good, this is higher than the global average (43%). Only 21% of New Zealanders rate the care they receive as poor.
- Mental health is seen as the top health problem (and globally). 6-in-10 place mental health as the biggest health problem facing people in New Zealand (61%), this is higher than the 45% average across 30 countries globally. Mental health ranks ahead of cancer (47%) and obesity (40%).
- Awareness and source of awareness of GLP-1s. More than half (53%) of New Zealanders have heard about GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, this awareness is higher than the global average (36%)
We hope you find this report useful. If you have any questions about what’s covered here for your country, category or industry, please get in touch.
