MOSCOW, April 28 2009. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data about what Russians do if they get sick and how they care of their health.
In case Russians get sick they go to free public hospital (51%).Russians rarer use private medical facilities (8%). Every third makes self-treatment (33%), the share of such respondents has been decreasing from 37% since 2006. And finally, the least popular answers are as follows: "let it drift" (4%) or "I turn to traditional medicine" (2%). The data have changed compared to the previous year within the statistical error.
Those who turn to public medical facilities are mostly respondents with monthly income equaled to 1500 rubles per family member as well as Russians aged 60 and above (60%). Self-treatment is often used by respondents with income from 1500 to 3000 rubles per family member as well as respondents younger than 59 years old (34-36%).
To take care of the health first of all Russians refuse to smoke and drink - "I do not drink and smoke" (30%). 28% of respondents go to doctors and follow doctor's instructions in case they get ill, 23% just do not put much attention if they feel malaise. 18% take care of the health by watching special TV-programs and reading books and magazines, for 17% of respondents it is essential to have right nutrition to stay healthy. 15% of respondents do sports, 12% attend regular medical inspection. Only 7% report they do not need to take care of their health. Compared with the previous year the data have changed within the statistical error.
Men and women tend to take care of their health in a different way. Women more often report the absence of bad habits (38% against 20%), they more often go to see the doctors (31% against 25%), watch TV-programs and read special literature devoted to the health subject (25% against 9%), have right nutrition (19% against 13%), check their health regularly (14% against 9%). However, men more often report they do sports (17% against 13%), and say they do not need to take care of their health (12% against 4%).
The initiative Russian opinion poll was conducted on April 4-5, 2009. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia.
The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.
What do you do, when you get sick? | |||
| July 2006 | March 2008 | April 2009 |
Go to free public hospital, clinic | 52 | 50 | 51 |
Self-treatment | 37 | 35 | 33 |
Go to private hospital | 6 | 7 | 8 |
Turn to traditional medicine | 2 | 2 | 2 |
I do nothing, let it drift | 3 | 6 | 4 |
Hard to tell | 1 | 1 | 2 |
What do you do, when you get sick? | |||||
| total respondents | monthly income per family member in rubles | |||
lower than1500 | 1501-3000 | 3001-5000 | 5001 and more | ||
Go to free public hospital, clinic | 51 | 58 | 48 | 54 | 54 |
Self-treatment | 33 | 36 | 43 | 33 | 32 |
Go to private hospital | 8 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 |
Turn to traditional medicine | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
I do nothing, let it drift | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Hard to tell | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
What do you do, when you get sick? | ||||||
| total respondents | age, years | ||||
18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 and above | ||
Go to free public hospital, clinic | 51 | 48 | 51 | 45 | 50 | 60 |
Self-treatment | 33 | 36 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 28 |
Go to private hospital | 8 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 6 |
Turn to traditional medicine | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
I do nothing, let it drift | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
Hard to tell | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
If you take care of your health, what exactly do you do? (close-ended question, one answer) | |||
| July 2006 | March 2008 | April 2009 |
I check up my health regularly, I go through regular medical inspection | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Physical culture and sports | 12 | 14 | 15 |
Right nutrition | 16 | 16 | 17 |
I watch TV-programs and read books and magazines devoted to this subject | 16 | 17 | 18 |
I do not smoke and drink | 31 | 32 | 30 |
if I am ill, I go to doctors and follow their instructions | 28 | 31 | 28 |
I am healthy, I do not need to take of my health | 8 | 9 | 7 |
I cannot say I am healthy but I do not put attention to illnesses and malaises | 24 | 20 | 23 |
hard to tell | 3 | 5 | 5 |
If you take care of your health, what exactly do you do? (close-ended question, one answer) | |||
| total respondents | sex | |
men | women | ||
I do not smoke and drink | 30 | 20 | 38 |
if I am ill, I go to doctors and follow their instructions | 28 | 25 | 31 |
I watch TV-programs and read books and magazines devoted to this subject | 18 | 9 | 25 |
Right nutrition | 17 | 13 | 19 |
Physical culture and sports | 15 | 17 | 13 |
I check up my health regularly, I go through regular medical inspection | 12 | 9 | 14 |
I am healthy, I do not need to take of my health | 7 | 12 | 4 |
I cannot say I am healthy but I do not put attention to illnesses and malaises | 23 | 25 | 22 |
hard to tell | 5 | 6 | 4 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or www.wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM,
the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!