GE Healthcare Survey Shows People Don’t Associate Bad Habits with Breast Cancer

Family support more influential than public health campaigns and celebrity diets when trying to kick bad habits and lead a healthier lifestyle

CHALFONT ST. GILES, England - Thursday, June 27th 2013 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- New research commissioned by GE Healthcare, undertaken by TNS in eight countries1 last month, has revealed that adults are unaware of the link between bad habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption or physical inactivity and breast cancer.

While respondents to the survey were well aware of the relationship between bad habits and the possible risk of developing lung, liver and colon cancer, the awareness of the link to breast cancer was comparatively low: between 28% (in Germany) and 60% (in China) (see chart 1).

The survey revealed that the main reason people find it tough to break bad habits was addiction. However, the second most cited reason by respondents was a lack of information and knowledge, suggesting that while public awareness campaigns for lung, liver and colon cancer do a good job of informing the general public about the risks of bad habits, more work could be done to highlight the link to breast cancer.

When respondents were asked about their personal monitoring routines and how often people should check their bodies for unusual bumps and growths some startling disparities appeared (see chart two).

    33% of British, 42% of Americans and alarmingly 93% of Japanese and 86% of Chinese respondents said they do not check their body at least one a month
    In other countries, the percentage of people not checking themselves once a month hovered between 50% and 80%
    Unsurprisingly, women are more conscientious than men at checking their bodies each month

The survey also revealed that families are the most important source of influence, motivation and inspiration for those wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle. At least 70% of respondents in each country said that they would look to their family for support.

Doctors and other medical professionals are another main source of advice and influence for those surveyed and were cited as the second most influential group. However, while French respondents are most likely to heed advice from their healthcare professionals over their family, Chinese respondents were less likely to value the advice of healthcare professionals.

Faring much worse in the survey were both government health campaigns and celebrities promoting a certain lifestyle or diet. With the exception of Brazil and Turkey, celebrities had minimal influence in those countries looking for advice on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

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A pdf of the research findings can be downloaded at: http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com/articles/lack-of-awareness-between-bad-habits-and-breast-cancer.

Editor’s Notes

1 TNS conducted the survey on behalf of GE Healthcare and polled over 1,000 adults between May 31 and June 5 in Brazil (adults 16-54), China (adults 16-44), France (adults 16-64), Germany (adults 16-64), Japan (adults 16-64), Turkey (adults 16-54), Great Britain (adults 16-64) and the United States (adults 18-64).

GE Healthcare’s #GetFit 2013 campaign (www.ge-getfit.com) runs until mid-July and leverages social media channels including Instagram, Sina Weibo in China, and Twitter to enable participation, interaction and engagement of a global audience to promote healthy habits that can help reduce the likelihood of developing cancer.

About GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services to meet the demand for increased access, enhanced quality and more affordable healthcare around the world. GE (NYSE:GE) works on things that matter - great people and technologies taking on tough challenges. From medical imaging, software & IT, patient monitoring and diagnostics to drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and performance improvement solutions, GE Healthcare helps medical professionals deliver great healthcare to their patients. For our latest news, please visit http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com

In September 2011, GE Healthcare announced it would dedicate $1 billion of its total R&D budget over the next five years to expand its advanced cancer diagnostic and molecular imaging capabilities, as well as its world-class technologies for the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals and for cancer research.

Contacts

GE Healthcare

Allison Cohen

PR and Communications Manager

+972 (0)54-7299-742

allison.cohen@ge.com



Will Spiers

Global PR Director

+44 1494 545278/ +44 7971 276757

william.spiers@ge.com