Many Americans face challenges meeting social needs, such as safe housing, balanced meals, transportation and social support, which can negatively affect their health, according to a survey released June 4 by Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente.
The national survey of 1,006 U.S. adults also found that Americans want help from physicians and medical service providers to help address these needs.
Seven survey findings:
1. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they experienced a barrier to health in the past year due to an unmet social need.
2. Twenty-one percent of respondents reported prioritizing paying for food or rent over seeing a physician or getting medication.
3. Most respondents (68 percent) said they experienced at least one unmet social need in the last year related to housing, transportation, food security or relationships.
4. Respondents who said they experienced unmet social needs in the last year were twice as likely to rate their health as fair or poor (16 percent) compared to those who did not experience an unmet social need (6 percent).
5. More than half of respondents (51 percent) said they would feel supported if their medical provider asked them about issues relating to transportation, housing, food, and/or social relationships.
6. Thirty-nine percent of respondents said they would feel listened to or heard if their medical provider asked them about social needs.
7. Only 10 percent of respondents said they would feel annoyed or nervous if a medical provider asked about their social needs.
Read more about the survey here.
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