17. June 2021.
STADA Health Report 2021: Representative survey with more than 30,000 respondents in 15 European countries reveals unique insights into “How has the pandemic changed Europeans’ views on health?”
Clear impact of the pandemic on mental well-being: 1 in 4 feel restless, even more suffer from anxiety, 15 percent have trouble sleeping
By providing insights based on scientifically validated research, STADA wants to help its partners – be they patients, healthcare professionals, distributors, retailers or policy-makers – make sound decisions about health based on data they can trust. As a leading supplier of generic and specialty medicines, as well as consumer healthcare products, STADA every day supports the sustainability of healthcare systems across Europe, in line with our purpose of Caring for People's Health," explained STADA CEO Peter Goldschmidt
The third international STADA Health Report reveals how Europeans have dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic – and how their lives have changed during lockdown.
Representative online study by Kantar on behalf of STADA. Research time frame: March through April 2021. Sample: Around 2,000 respondents each from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
Lockdowns and other restrictions have had a significant impact on Europeans: Almost 1 in 3 (29 percent) of them have suffered from increased levels of anxiety, 1 in 4 are troubled by stress and inner restlessness since Covid. Another 15 percent of Europeans have even reported sleep disturbances. Young people tend to be more frequently affected by these symptoms than Europeans above the age of 35.
However, the possibility of contracting Covid-19 is not the primary concern for the majority of Europeans: Most of them have been more affected by the lack of personal contact with family and friends (52 percent). Fear of infection follows in second place at 42 percent, and almost 1 in 3 worry about financial and work-related repercussions of the pandemic.
Face masks may remain part of everyday life post-Covid
Not that Europeans are sitting idly by and simply letting the pandemic take its effects on them. The vast majority of Europeans (70 percent) have been willing to invest more in their own health due to the pandemic: Indeed, 45 percent of respondents now eat a healthier and more balanced diet – and are also willing to pay for it. In the Czech Republic, 1 in 2 have spent more money on fresh produce. Belgians were less motivated to channel their inner chef (37 percent). Roughly 1 in 3 Europeans have recently incorporated some form of physical activity into their leisure activities.
Hygiene measures of all kinds have played an unprecedented role in our lives during the pandemic. Still, Europeans are not looking to collectively abandon them anytime soon: 45 percent vow to continue to wash their hands regularly, 1 in 3 plan to stick to the recommended minimum distance to others and more than 1 in 5 Europeans (22 percent) even want to keep wearing a face mask in public.
Generally speaking, 74 percent of Europeans are satisfied with their respective healthcare system. Compared to the previous year, this number has declined slightly by three percent. The Swiss feel best taken care of (91 percent), while people in the Ukraine are most dissatisfied with their healthcare system (25 percent). After one year of Covid, fewer Europeans would consider remote medical treatment via webcam (57 percent) than in 2020 (70 percent): a decrease of 13 percent, despite a boom in digitalisation as the strong desire for personal interaction with doctors has more than from 11% in 2020 to 24% of Europeans this year.
Great trust in doctors, pharmacists and scientists
For 73 percent of Europeans, their doctor is the first point of call for all health-related issues, with pharmacists and scientists also highly trusted (60 percent each). With 7 percent politicians are deemed significantly less trustworthy by most Europeans. Doctors may also owe their high esteem to their relentless dedication in the fight against the pandemic: 81 percent of Europeans are convinced that, together with the nursing staff, they are most deserving of our collective gratitude for their efforts in combating Covid.
“As a trusted partner of pharmacies and medical practices we are delighted that the appreciation of medical and pharmaceutical specialists has increased during the pandemic. This is much deserved for everyone working in hospitals, practices and pharmacies”, says Peter Goldschmidt, CEO of STADA.
“By providing insights based on scientifically validated research, STADA wants to help its partners – be they patients, healthcare professionals, distributors, retailers or policy-makers – make sound decisions about health based on data they can trust. As a leading supplier of generic and specialty medicines, as well as consumer healthcare products, STADA every day supports the sustainability of healthcare systems across Europe, in line with our purpose of Caring for People's Health," explains Goldschmidt.
Pharmacies: Europe’s rocks in the surf
With all of the changes they had to digest in the past months, people in Europe do require a little bit of continuity: If given the free choice, community pharmacies remain their preferred place to shop for medication. Despite a 14 percentage-point increase in people purchasing medication online, 43 percent stay loyal to community pharmacies, 13 percent of which specifically single out their local branch.
When purchasing medication, Europeans care more about brand names and what is associated with them (38 percent) rather than sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging (25 percent) or whether a product was made in Europe (20 percent).
