Get notified of the best articles of the week
The pandemic has made people more concerned about their health. But wellness is about much more than medical fitness.
Here are 6 megatrends that will shape how we think about wellness after COVID-19.
Will wellness ever mean the same thing again after the pandemic? New research suggests COVID-19 has made people more health conscious and willing to change their lifestyles to stay well.
Ipsos surveyed 1,160 people across the United States to predict how wellbeing might change in a post-pandemic world. They found that 62% of Americans believe their health is more important to them than before the pandemic.
Other findings in the report suggest people are more ready to embrace change in their lifestyles but, for some, true wellness remains out of reach due to inequality.
Although White Americans were least optimistic about their future health, Black Americans were 15 percentage points less likely to see a doctor at least once a year than other groups although they were more likely to seek alternative medicine.
Only 71% of Black patients said they were treated respectfully by healthcare providers compared 83% of White and Hispanic people. Around a third of Black people and 35% of Hispanic patients said their health concerns were stigmatized due to their racial identity.
Most Americans said they felt respected by their healthcare providers.
Data from the study was then combined with other surveys to create a picture of the future, leading the team at Ipsos to identify these six trends they believe will define changes in our approach to wellness over the next decade.
In the US, as in the rest of the developed world, medical advances mean people are living longer. “An ageing population that will impact the growing caregiving crisis and how we innovate products and services to meet their needs,” say the study’s authors.
The researchers expect new technologies like smart tattoos, which use sensors injected into the skin and change colour to monitor things like glucose levels and body temperature, to help individuals monitor their own health in later years.
COVID-19 has placed massive burdens on healthcare systems around the world. But in response to restrictions preventing in-person consultations with doctors, telemedicine – using video calls and remote monitoring – has come to the fore.
Over half of Americans told Ipsos they had consulted a medical professional using a virtual link and 89% said they were satisfied with the experience. Three quarters also said they would like to manage their healthcare using an app or a website in future.
It’s long been known that diet plays a key part in health. But the study shows people want to be able to tailor their diets to meet their particular health needs. More than two fifths of Americans want customized advice and plans for their health.
Interviewed for the study, Naveen Jain, Founder and CEO, Viome Life Sciences predicted that in future people will be able to 3D print their own food from ingredients stored in their smart fridges – appliances that will also tell them what to buy and when to buy it.
Mental health is rated second only to physical health in the US and ranked third globally, according to Ipsos. Younger generations are much more in tune with their mental health with almost a fifth of Generation Z and 13% of millennials consulting a mental health professional at least three times each year.
America’s younger people are more likely to make regular visits to mental health professionals.
Source link
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Get notified of our weekly selection of news
Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email.
