Hemofarm

Year after year, the STADA Health Report has explored questions that concern people in connection with their health.

It was thus only natural that in 2021, we should address the monumental and complex topic that is the Corona pandemic. In the previous Health Report, we followed up the main survey with an additional round of questions after the outbreak of the virus to capture the mood at the beginning of the crisis. Now, one year later and together with 30,000 Europeans, we look back on one year of Covid and ask: What has the crisis done to us? How has this exceptional situation affected our mental health? Who has made a special contribution to helping us overcome the crisis little by little – to this day? How have our health systems fared? Do we now have a newfound appreciation for our health and are we willing to invest more in it? Summing up we can say: The atmosphere is cautiously optimistic.

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The STADA Health Report 2021 has revealed that pharmaceutical companies are among the most important contributors in the fight against the Covid pandemic. Looking forward, we are committed to building on the trust that people already place in us today. As a strong and trusted partner at the side of the people in Europe and worldwide, we act in accordance with our claim Caring for People's Health – also and especially in difficult times like these.

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PETER GOLDSCHMIDT
Chairman of the Executive Board/CEO

Trust

If Covid has taught us one thing, it is this: A well-functioning healthcare system and the people who keep it running are the backbone of our society. It thus comes as no surprise that 81 % of Europeans consider front-line workers in hospitals the main contributors in overcoming the pandemic. The experiences that were made during Covid changed our perspective on many things: Paradoxically, it also led many Europeans to reconsider their opinion on new-age ways of treatment within the healthcare sector. We also learned: When it comes to matters of health, Europe’s trust is not easily earned – but quickly lost.

A crisis of trust? Europeans count on conventional medicine and healthcare systems – mostly

71 % of Europeans remain satisfied with their healthcare system

Doctors and nurses named most important actors in dealing with Covid (81 %)

Politicians deemed less trustworthy than pharmaceutical companies

Approval of remote treatment via webcam on the decline – despite Covid

No other event in recent world history has changed our lives as fundamentally as the Covid pandemic. Seemingly overnight, everything changed. When Europe went into lockdown, its population went into a combination of hibernation and survival mode, stepping back to make room for the people in charge: especially for front-line workers, who were charged primarily to get us back on track. Without a doubt, there is much to come to terms with in the aftermath of the pandemic. Not only the lives to be mourned, but also how the situation was dealt with in general. Covid has left its mark on Europeans, so much is clear. But how will we come out on the other side of this? What have we learned? Who will we trust? Who has some catching up to do after the pandemic, and what does this mean for our future?

Mental Health

Covid has taken quite a toll on Europeans: From endless lockdowns, contact and movement restrictions, or the constant fear that you or a loved one will fall ill with the virus, to working from home whilst looking after children (and oneself), and getting on with life despite it all while generally attempting to hold it together. The result after one year of Corona: 1 in 4 Europeans feel extremely stressed, so much that they struggle to unwind. 1 in 3 are experiencing increased levels of anxiety due to the pandemic. Everything is not ok.

The monster at our doorstep: How COVID-19 has affected our mental health

Almost 1 in 3 Europeans report increased levels of anxiety due to the pandemic

Inner restlessness and stress affect 1 in 4 Europeans, 15 % have trouble sleeping

Self-assessed percentage of Europeans at risk of burnout remains high at 54 percent

Europeans are less bothered by the possibility of contracting COVID-19 than being unable to meet with family and friends

The challenges the last few months held for Europeans were manifold. But even amid hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 induced casualties across the continent, daily life went on: granted, in a fundamentally different way. In addition to newly required organisational skills to reconcile round the clock childcare with a 9 to 5 job, the danger of being infected with the virus loomed seemingly everywhere. Measures taken to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 caused families and friends to be separated for long periods of time, leaving many to feel lonely and isolated, exacerbating existing mental health issues and undoubtedly breeding new ones. What did Europeans worry about most during these trying times? What helped them to stay strong? Are we already on the verge of a new pandemic, namely that of mental health issues?

Medicine

Wearing a face covering, keeping a distance, washing and disinfecting our hands regularly. These basic precautionary measures have long become second nature to us. Covid has forced us to change our habits in many ways – but will the new ones we made stick around? This seems likely: 1 in 5 Europeans plan on wearing face masks post Covid, 1 in 3 will continue to adhere to the recommended minimum distance. With most of everyday life having taken place at home, who did Europeans turn to for health advice in times of Covid? And where did they prefer to buy their medication during the pandemic?

Stay home, stay healthy: Has Covid changed our health habits for good?

Community pharmacies still most popular place to buy medication for 43 % of Europeans

22 % percent of Europeans plan to continue wearing a face mask post Covid

45 % of Europeans paid more attention to healthy eating during the pandemic

Brand name more important to Europeans than environmental factors when purchasing medicine and food supplements

With most of social life on hold for months on end, Covid has given us ample opportunity to take a step back and evaluate our current routines with regard to their health benefits. It seems that some of the habits that were created during the pandemic – whether self-induced or imposed by the government – are either unlikely to be abandoned completely post Covid or will have at least helped some Europeans make it through these difficult months. What did Europeans change during the pandemic, and which of those changes are likely to persist?

A lesson we learned last year: Health always comes first. Our coexistence is affected when everyone’s health is at stake. It thus comes as no surprise that a healthy lifestyle has become more important for 1 in 2 Europeans. And within this trend, food supplements, which can be taken to support our health, have found themselves at the centre of a certain COVID-induced hype.

All eyes on health: Europeans strive for a healthier lifestyle – and are ready to embrace novelties

84 percent of Europeans consider a healthy lifestyle important

Almost 3 in 4 Europeans now take food supplements

38 percent of Europeans have tried out new sport and diet trends

Healthy nutrition plays a major role

During the pandemic, health has become much more of a priority for Europeans. The STADA Health Report 2021 has brought to light new nutrition, sports and fitness trends as well as a fresh focus on food supplements. The vast majority of Europeans say they have taken the pandemic as an occasion to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Only 30 percent did not invest more than usual in their health over the past year. The others have been willing to spend and focus more on their health.

How have health-related behaviours changed?

23 percent of Europeans have ordered more health products online, 21 percent have sought more advice in pharmacies and stocked up their medicine cabinet and 16 percent of Europeans have downloaded fitness apps. Overall, health is at the top of the agenda: 84 percent of Europeans believe that a healthy lifestyle is important. At the core of this: a healthy diet, nutrition as well as sports and fitness trends. 35 percent of Europeans have recently incorporated some form of physical activity into their daily life and have tried to exercise more during the past months. In particular, fitness trends such as yoga, hula hoop and aerobic have become very popular as gyms have remained closed during lockdown.

Aside from this, a healthy diet has also gained in importance: almost 1 in 2 Europeans have adopted a healthier and more balanced diet in the last year. But what characterises a healthy diet? 42 percent attach value to fresh and high-quality products and are willing to invest more in a healthy diet. Many Europeans have tried new sports and diet trends such as HIIT(High Intensity Interval Training), pilates, the Daily Dozen Principle or a plant-based dietover the past year; however 17 percent also say that they have not yet discovered the “right” sport or diet trend for themselves.

Food supplements are trending

Considerable interest revolves around food supplements, which are also high on the list of healthy lifestyle choices. Providing important vitamins and minerals, their relevance has been reinforced by the pandemic. 73 percent of Europeans buy and use food supplements. Among 18 to 34 year-olds, they are even more popular (81 percent).

Over the past year, self-reported supplement use has increased by almost a third (29 percent) due to Corona. Notably, women (33 percent) haven taken to supplements more than men (25 percent) recently. Another interesting finding: 34 percent of Europeans who live in urban centers (of more than 500,000 inhabitants) have started using food supplements during the past months, compared to only 24 percent of people from more rural areas.

But where to buy food supplements in times of lockdown and fear of infection? Despite all restrictions, the pharmacy remains the number one place to go for food supplements (22 percent). Supermarkets follow in second place with 14 percent, closely followed by online pharmacies (13 percent).