Health and Wellness: Data, insights, and solutions

What do people want from their health and their healthcare? And from telehealth to public health policy, how is that changing? Here’s Ipsos’ top insights on these issues and others.

 

What do people want from their health and their healthcare providers? What are the public’s medical fears? And from GLP-1s and telehealth to holistic wellness, where will the greatest growth opportunities be? Read on for some of Ipsos’ top data on these issues and more.

Key takeaways:

 

Mothers of young children are most concerned about unhealthy foods

While women are generally more concerned than men about food safety, mothers of children under 18 are far and away the most worried. Three out of four moms think chemicals and unsafe additives in foods present a large or moderate health risk, putting them 20 percentage points above the general population. (Read more.)

Younger generations more likely to learn about health trends from social media influencers — and to say that social media harms their wellbeing

An Ipsos Essentials survey of 15 global countries found that younger generations are more likely to learn about health trends on social media, and more likely to agree that these platforms have a negative impact on their well-being. (Read more.) 

Americans' top health concerns include obesity, mental health issues, opiods and fentanyl

Rough one in five Americans (22%) say obesity is the single biggest concern to American public health, followed by mental health (15%) and opioids and fentanyl (15%). This comes as concerns over respiratory viruses have softened compared to February, falling from 11% last wave to 3% this wave. (Read more.)

64% of Americans think tariffs will impact their ability to afford future prescriptions

Just over half of Americans are concerned that tariffs will impact their ability to afford their current prescriptions — but nearly two-thirds fear that tariffs will impact the cost of prescriptions they may need in the future. (Read more.)

Most Americans say they avoid processed foods, and many say they eat organic

 

If you take their word for it, many Americans already follow the FDA’s recommendations for a healthy diet. 59% say they limit the processed foods they eat. Nearly half (44%) say they prioritize organic foods or those with fewer chemicals or pesticides. (Read more.)

Most Americans agree COVID-19 has changed their lives forever, but shutdowns divide Americans along partisan lines

Five years after the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, most Americans think lockdowns were necessary to save lives, but also feel they did unnecessary economic harm. Majorities trust public health institutions, but that trust has softened substantially since spring 2020. Most do not think the U.S. government is prepared for the next pandemic or public health threat. (Read more.)

There's a large gap between the mental health benefits employees think are important, and the benefits they are offered

Nearly all employees think health insurance and mental healthcare insurance is important. But far fewer say they are offered mental healthcare coverage. There are significant gaps when it comes to mental health benefits workers say is important and what is actually offered. (Read more.)

Majority of Americans, across party, feel obesity is a result of ultra-processed foods and beverages

The public is clear-eyed and decisive about what at least one driver of obesity is: processed foods and beverages. Most Americans, regardless of political party, feel processed foods are a driver of obesity. (Read more.)

Half of workers say they're concerned about their stress levels 

Full-time workers at companies with at least 100 employees believe discussing mental health at work is important, but they need more resources to feel comfortable doing so, according to a new NAMI/Ipsos poll on mental health. (Read more.)

Americans' attitudes on public health going into 2025

Americans of both parties agree on three things related to public health: Republicans and Democrats think that vaccines are an effective tool to prevent diseases, that the food they buy is safe to eat, and that ultra-processed foods are a public health hazard. (Read more.)

Half of Americans say they'd be interested in a weight loss drug that reduced their appetite 

10% of U.S. respondents to a June 2024 Ipsos survey reported that they were currently taking a GLP-1-based medication – but the potential uptake is far higher. An Ipsos Consumer Tracker survey in October 2024 found that more than half of all Americans (53%) are interested in taking a drug that would help reduce cravings to eat, resulting in weight loss.  (Read more.)

One in five Americans say they have faced at least one form of transportation insecurity to healthcare access

A new Ipsos poll finds that one in ten Americans have delayed scheduling a medical appointment because it would take them too long to get an appointment. The poll also finds that 6% of Americans say that a lack of public transportation options was a reason they delayed scheduling an appointment, while 5% cite unreliable or infrequent transportation.  (Read more.)

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