Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic conducted its first-ever national survey to take the pulse of American's health opinions and behaviors, from the greatest perceived health challenges to demographic sentiments on aging.
Deployed in December 2015, the Mayo Clinic National Health Check-Up surveyed 1,1012 adults via telephone.
Below are five takeaways from the survey.
1. The top health resolutions for 2016. Top resolutions included "eat a healthier diet" (74 percent), "exercise more" (73 percent) and "schedule an annual wellness visit with your doctor" (66 percent).
2. Women were more likely than men to pursue health improvements. More women reported goals to eat a healthier diet, get more sleep, take a nutritional supplement and schedule a milestone screening during the upcoming year.
3. Americans in their 30s least optimistic about aging better than their parents. Some 56 percent of respondents aged 30 to 39 said they expect to age better than their elders. While still a majority, it is well below the confidence levels expressed by Americans in their 40s (79 percent), 50s (67 percent) and 60s (72 percent).
4. Barriers to better health. Survey participants ranked work the most likely impediment to health goals (22 percent), followed by expense (14 percent), caregiving (13) and lack of sleep (13).
5. Telemedicine fell short on public radar. Despite telemedicine's recent upswing among insurers and health IT champions, 61 percent of respondents said they would not choose telemedicine over an in-office visit. The most likely telemedicine supporters were people in their 30s (49 percent) and those with annual household incomes between $75,000 and $100,000 (52 percent).