Study Germans fear cancer the most

Cancer continues to be the most feared - fear of mental illness is growing

11/16/2011

In terms of their health, Germans fear cancer by far the most. As in the previous year, in a representative survey conducted by the Forsa Institute on behalf of the German Employees' Health Insurance Fund (DAK), most participants stated that cancer was their biggest health concern.

Almost three-quarters (73 percent) of respondents said they feared cancer in their health. The fear of possible tumor diseases is by far the greatest, but other ailments also cause concern for the respondents. For example, the fear of mental illness has increased significantly compared to the previous year, the DAK reports on the results of the Forsa survey. Also, more than half of the participants were afraid of accidents involving injuries (57 percent), strokes (54 percent) and Alzheimer's or dementia (54 percent). Overall, according to the results of the Forsa Institute, Germans are worried about numerous illnesses and health problems, but cancer remains by far the biggest threat.

Cancer can hit anyone and often takes a hard course
On behalf of the DAK, the Forsa Institute asked more than 3,000 women and men about their fears of illness and health problems. Most participants mentioned the risk of cancer as their biggest concern. When explaining their fear of cancer, the majority of respondents said that the tumors can affect anyone and, compared to other diseases, are particularly likely to be severe. However, the fear of tumor diseases in the different ages is quite different. This is how DAK expert Dr. Christina Sewekov. „It is noticeable in comparison to the previous year that among 14 to 29-year-olds, the fear of cancer decreases, while at the same time they fear more all other diseases.“ Also, the readiness of younger people to participate in cancer screening significantly decreased, which, in Dr. Sewekow speaks in confirmation of the trend for it, „To inform this age group more about the risks and possibilities of early detection.“

Regional differences in concern for diseases
The Forsa survey on the public's health fears also shows that there are clear differences between the individual federal states. For example, the people in Hamburg generally have the least fear of disease, while the respondents in Thuringia are most afraid of the various diseases and health impairments, explained the expert of the DAK. Overall, according to the latest survey, about one third of Germans estimate their present state of health as „very well“ The values ​​in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg are around 40 percent higher than, for example, in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern or Thuringia, where 22 percent share their health „very well“ rated. With age, the positive belief in one's own constitution noticeably decreases, according to the DAK expert. Accordingly, more than half of the 14 to 29-year-olds estimate their own health status as „very good, while the proportion of respondents aged over 60 is only 19 percent. The older respondents also indicated that their health status was particularly high „bad“ was what a total of 12 percent of study participants claimed. In addition, women are generally much more concerned about their health than men, according to the Forsa survey.

Fear of mental illness is growing
As the DAK states in their recent press release, the rise in concerns over mental illness in the Forsa survey is particularly striking. In comparison to the previous year, 20 percent more respondents stated that they are afraid of mental illness. Overall, 36 percent of respondents said they were worried about depression, burn-out or other mental illnesses this year. Above all, the respondents between the ages of 30 and 44 are particularly concerned here, which is reflected in the fact that more of them are afraid of depression than of a heart attack, according to the DAK. The list of the most dreaded health conditions includes cancer, injuries, strokes, dementia and mental illness, as well as heart attacks, which are feared by 45% of interviewees, herniated discs (38%), severe lung disease (27%), diabetes ( 20 percent) and sexually transmitted disease (19 percent).

Majority of respondents actively prevent diseases
According to the DAK, the majority of respondents actively seeks to prevent the potential health threats they are afraid of. The majority of the participants exercise according to their own assessment regularly sports, drink only little alcohol and pay attention to a healthy diet. In addition, every third person in the survey stated that they resorted to relaxation exercises. However, it should be mentioned that there can be significant differences between the subjective assessment and the objective evaluation. Measured by the personal assessment, under-30s generally live slightly unhealthier and prevent possible health risks less frequently than the older respondents, according to the DAK. Concerning the concern about cancer, it is also striking that 73 percent of women, but only 47 percent of men said they participated in cancer screening. Thus, the fear of cancer in men apparently much less often means that they can check their risk of disease professionally, as in women. (Fp)

Also read:
Men too rare in cancer screening
Married people pay more attention to precaution

Picture: Sigrid Rossmann