NEW YORK, April 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A new
ValuePenguin.com survey has found that three quarters of Americans
are concerned about their health, but they don't consider the
negative effects that certain small actions could have on their
communities' health. For instance, more than four in 10 don't wash
their hands every time after using the restroom.
The prevalence of these habits underscores the ease with which
viruses such as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) can spread quickly
throughout communities. And unhealthy habits can become more
jarring when one realizes the number of Americans who are
vulnerable to disease, including the 13% of the population who
don't have health insurance.Here are key findings from the
survey:
- Bad Habits That Contribute to the Spread of COVID-19: 4
in 10 Americans surveyed say they don't wash their hands after
using the restroom, and a further 18% admit to regularly biting
their nails. Additionally, over 45% confessed to sleeping next to
their phones - whose surfaces tend to be another way the virus is
spreading.
- Bad Habits That Aren't Helping Americans' Overall
Health: 55% of Americans confessed to getting less than seven
hours of sleep per night. 66% say they aren't eating enough
helpings of fruit and vegetables in their diets, and 70% say they
aren't getting the recommended two and half hours of physical
activity in a week.
- Bad Habits That Affect Americans' Long Term Health: 53%
of Americans don't visit the doctor for yearly checkups, with this
being more common among men over women. Most worryingly, members of
Gen Z are most likely to lie to their healthcare professionals
(18%) and go into work when they're sick (33%), and a further 21%
reported lying to their employee-sponsored health insurance
providers.
- Insufficient Access to Healthcare is the Most Worrying
Aspect of All: While accounting for certain harmful habits can
go a long way toward improving someone's overall health, for the
13% Americans who don't have access to health-care professionals
and preventive care, taking steps can be extremely difficult or
impossible. Generationally, over 19% of Gen Zers aren't insured,
along with 15% of Millennials and 15% of Gen X.
ValuePenguin.com commissioned Qualtrics to conduct an online
survey of 1,311 Americans, with the sample base proportioned to
represent the overall population. The survey was fielded in
March 2020, and before the COVID-19
coronavirus was classified as a pandemic. To view the full report,
visit:
https://www.valuepenguin.com/unhealthiest-habits-in-america
About ValuePenguin.com: ValuePenguin.com, part of
LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE), is a personal finance website that
conducts in-depth research and provides objective analysis to help
guide consumers to the best financial decisions. ValuePenguin
focuses on value, assessing whether the return of a particular
decision is worth the cost or risk of that option, and how this
stacks up with the other possible choices they may have. For more
information, please visit www.valuepenguin.com, like our Facebook
page or follow us on Twitter @ValuePenguin.
Media Contact:
Divya Sangam (Ms.)
646 693 8445
divya@lendingtreenews.com
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SOURCE ValuePenguin.com