Overall, of the five key health and well-being areas Cigna tracks—physical, family, social, finance and work—there were slight declines due mainly to growing concerns over both social and physical wellness. (Image: Shutterstock)
In a recent survey by global health company, Cigna, the U.S. placed ninth for health and well-being. The “Well and Beyond” survey, which was conducted online and questioned more than 13,000 adults in 22 countries (including 1,012 in the U.S.) says Americans are more stressed than ever, particularly about physical, family and workplace wellness.
“We're seeing high incidences of stress, poor sleep quality and less time connecting with loved ones, which all can have a profound impact on one's physical health. Instead of treating medical conditions after they arise, we want to take a proactive and preventive approach to improve our customers' total health and well-being,” said Jose Quesada, chief medical officer, international markets at Cigna. “These new actionable insights better enable us to deliver the right tools and supportive resources to surround each individual, treating each person as a whole person, body and mind as one.”
Other findings show only 28 percent reported being at a healthy weight and just 33 percent knew their body mass index (BMI).
Unfortunately, Americans are not feeling supported in the workplace, as well. Only 25 percent of Americans report any assistance or support from their employer in managing stress—a 17 percent decline from 2018. Nearly three out of five Americans (61 percent) reported that their employer did not provide or sponsor any form of workplace wellness program. Separately, four of five Americans report feeling stressed and 15 percent feel that stress is unmanageable.
Working women report higher levels of stress than working men. (Source: Cigna)
Overall, of the five key health and well-being areas Cigna tracks—physical, family, social, finance and work—there were slight declines due mainly to growing concerns over both social and physical wellness. While the overall index declined, there were pockets of no decline in areas such as family and financial wellness, which remained relatively flat.
Globally, the scores dropped 1.1 point compared to last year's survey, from 62.3 to 61.2 points. With the exception of Singapore, all the markets surveyed in 2017 recorded a drop in 2018 of between 1.1 and 3.8 points, with Thailand reporting the largest fall. Despite recording the second largest fall, India maintained its place at the head of the index.
(Source: Cigna)
Demographically, millennials seem to be the most optimistic about their health and wellness compared to other groups. The overall index, as mentioned, is 61.2 where as millennials index falls in at a score of 63.0. Meanwhile, those who fall into the Sandwich Generation (between ages 35-49) scored lowest in most of the dimensions tracked.
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