A new survey from Abbott reveals a significant gap between American confidence in preventing chronic disease and actual health management practices. While 74% of U.S. adults believe most chronic diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease are preventable, only 1 in 4 feel very confident in knowing how to care for their health, according to research conducted by Kantar among 4,000 U.S. adults.
Barriers to Health Action
The survey identified multiple obstacles keeping Americans from taking preventive action. Sixty-five percent of respondents said they have delayed or avoided doing something for their health because it felt too overwhelming or expensive. Forty-six percent report that health guidance is confusing to follow, with 58% of those pointing to conflicting advice from different sources. Additionally, 61% believe they should be doing more for their health.
Generational Patterns and Technology
Millennials report feeling the healthiest at 65%, yet paradoxically are the most worried—half fear developing chronic disease if they haven’t already. Gen Z is increasingly turning to digital tools for guidance, equally likely to seek health advice from AI tools as from family or friends at 12%. Sixty-nine percent of Gen Z respondents have used a health tracker or app in the last 12 months, with 93% reporting a positive change in health habits and 58% stating a lasting change.
Nutrition and Parental Concerns
Ninety-six percent of Americans believe good nutrition helps prevent chronic disease, but only 30% say they personally eat “very healthy,” and 42% say healthy food is too expensive. Parents face particular pressure, with 94% believing their children’s habits today will affect their overall health as adults. Nearly 9 in 10 of those parents feel pressure to model healthy habits for their kids, yet over 40% say they aren’t always modeling healthy patterns.
Abbott partnered with Sesame Workshop to launch resources helping families create healthy routines around nutrition, movement and sleep, available at Sesame.org/HealthyHabits.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-survey-finds-most-americans-believe-chronic-diseases-are-preventable-but-only-1-in-4-feel-confident-in-how-to-care-for-their-health-302737710.html