9 in 10 Americans have put off health checkups and screenings that could help save their lives
Aflac's 2025 Wellness Matters Survey reveals concerning trends in preventive healthcare, with 90% of Americans postponing vital health checkups and screenings. The survey highlights that 94% of Americans face barriers to getting recommended screenings within suggested timeframes.
Key findings show that 48% of Americans face logistical barriers like work conflicts, while 40% have canceled appointments due to long wait times. Generation Z reports high levels of personal embarrassment (32%) and doctor distrust. Common avoided screenings include pap smears (33%), prostate exams (32%), and colonoscopies (32%), with millennials (62%) and Gen Z (61%) being most likely to avoid screenings.
The survey also reveals that 65% of Americans only realize the importance of proactive health care after experiencing a health scare. Notably, nearly 1 in 5 Americans lacks a primary care physician, with 41% primarily using urgent care or emergency rooms for medical needs.
Il sondaggio Wellness Matters 2025 di Aflac evidenzia tendenze preoccupanti nella prevenzione sanitaria, con il 90% degli americani che rimanda controlli e screening vitali. Il sondaggio sottolinea che il 94% degli americani incontra ostacoli nel sottoporsi agli screening raccomandati entro i tempi suggeriti.
I dati principali mostrano che il 48% degli americani affronta barriere logistiche come conflitti lavorativi, mentre il 40% ha annullato appuntamenti a causa di lunghi tempi di attesa. La Generazione Z segnala alti livelli di imbarazzo personale (32%) e sfiducia nei medici. Gli screening più spesso evitati sono pap test (33%), esami alla prostata (32%) e colonscopie (32%), con i millennial (62%) e la Gen Z (61%) che risultano i più propensi a evitarli.
Il sondaggio rivela inoltre che il 65% degli americani comprende l’importanza della prevenzione sanitaria solo dopo aver vissuto un episodio di salute critico. Da notare che quasi 1 americano su 5 non ha un medico di base, e il 41% si rivolge principalmente a cliniche di pronto intervento o pronto soccorso per le esigenze mediche.
La encuesta Wellness Matters 2025 de Aflac revela tendencias preocupantes en la atención preventiva, con un 90% de los estadounidenses que pospone chequeos y exámenes vitales. La encuesta destaca que el 94% de los estadounidenses enfrenta barreras para realizarse los exámenes recomendados dentro de los plazos sugeridos.
Los hallazgos clave muestran que el 48% de los estadounidenses enfrenta obstáculos logísticos como conflictos laborales, mientras que el 40% ha cancelado citas debido a largos tiempos de espera. La Generación Z reporta altos niveles de vergüenza personal (32%) y desconfianza hacia los médicos. Los exámenes más evitados incluyen citologías (33%), exámenes de próstata (32%) y colonoscopias (32%), siendo los millennials (62%) y la Generación Z (61%) los más propensos a evitarlos.
La encuesta también revela que el 65% de los estadounidenses solo comprende la importancia del cuidado preventivo después de haber sufrido un susto de salud. Cabe destacar que casi 1 de cada 5 estadounidenses no tiene un médico de cabecera, y el 41% utiliza principalmente atención urgente o salas de emergencia para sus necesidades médicas.
Aflac의 2025년 웰니스 매터스 설문조사는 예방 의료에서 우려스러운 추세를 보여주며, 미국인의 90%가 중요한 건강 검진과 선별검사를 미루고 있습니다. 설문조사에 따르면 미국인의 94%가 권장된 기간 내에 선별검사를 받는 데 어려움을 겪고 있습니다.
주요 결과는 미국인의 48%가 업무 충돌과 같은 물리적 장애를 겪고 있으며, 40%는 긴 대기 시간 때문에 예약을 취소했다고 보고합니다. Z세대는 개인적인 부끄러움(32%)과 의사에 대한 불신이 높게 나타났습니다. 회피하는 일반적인 검사로는 자궁경부암 검사(33%), 전립선 검사(32%), 대장 내시경(32%)이 있으며, 밀레니얼 세대(62%)와 Z세대(61%)가 가장 많이 검사를 피하는 것으로 나타났습니다.
또한 설문조사에서는 미국인의 65%가 건강 문제를 겪은 후에야 예방적 건강 관리의 중요성을 인식한다고 밝혔습니다. 특히 미국인의 거의 5분의 1이 주치의를 갖고 있지 않으며, 41%는 주로 응급실이나 긴급 진료소를 이용해 의료 서비스를 받고 있습니다.
L'enquête Wellness Matters 2025 d'Aflac révèle des tendances préoccupantes en matière de soins préventifs, avec 90 % des Américains qui reportent des examens et dépistages essentiels. L'enquête souligne que 94 % des Américains rencontrent des obstacles pour réaliser les dépistages recommandés dans les délais suggérés.
Les résultats clés montrent que 48 % des Américains font face à des contraintes logistiques telles que des conflits professionnels, tandis que 40 % ont annulé des rendez-vous en raison de longs délais d'attente. La génération Z rapporte un fort sentiment de gêne personnelle (32 %) et une méfiance envers les médecins. Les dépistages les plus souvent évités sont le frottis (33 %), l'examen de la prostate (32 %) et la coloscopie (32 %), les milléniaux (62 %) et la génération Z (61 %) étant les plus susceptibles de les éviter.
L'enquête révèle également que 65 % des Américains ne prennent conscience de l'importance des soins proactifs qu'après une alerte sanitaire. Il est notable qu'un Américain sur cinq n'a pas de médecin traitant, et que 41 % utilisent principalement les urgences ou les centres de soins d'urgence pour leurs besoins médicaux.
Aflacs Wellness Matters Umfrage 2025 zeigt besorgniserregende Trends in der präventiven Gesundheitsversorgung, wobei 90 % der Amerikaner wichtige Gesundheitsuntersuchungen und Screenings aufschieben. Die Umfrage hebt hervor, dass 94 % der Amerikaner Schwierigkeiten haben, empfohlene Screenings innerhalb der empfohlenen Zeiträume wahrzunehmen.
Wichtige Erkenntnisse zeigen, dass 48 % der Amerikaner logistische Hindernisse wie Arbeitskonflikte haben, während 40 % Termine wegen langer Wartezeiten absagen. Die Generation Z berichtet von hohem persönlichem Unbehagen (32 %) und Misstrauen gegenüber Ärzten. Häufig vermiedene Untersuchungen sind Pap-Tests (33 %), Prostatauntersuchungen (32 %) und Koloskopien (32 %), wobei Millennials (62 %) und Gen Z (61 %) am häufigsten Screenings ausweichen.
Die Umfrage zeigt außerdem, dass 65 % der Amerikaner die Bedeutung der proaktiven Gesundheitsvorsorge erst nach einer gesundheitlichen Warnung erkennen. Bemerkenswert ist, dass fast 1 von 5 Amerikanern keinen Hausarzt hat und 41 % hauptsächlich Notfallambulanzen oder Notaufnahmen für ihre medizinischen Bedürfnisse nutzen.
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- 90% of Americans avoiding important health screenings indicates potential future health claims risk
- 94% of Americans face barriers to recommended screenings, suggesting systemic healthcare access issues
- Nearly 20% lacking primary care physician could lead to higher emergency care costs
- High avoidance rates among younger generations (61-62%) suggests growing future health risks
Aflac Wellness Matters Survey uncovers what may be keeping Americans from getting preventive checkups
Health care on hold
Across all generations, many Americans may put their health care on hold because going to the doctor is not easy — both logistically and emotionally. The survey uncovered an alarming
- Gen Z experiences negative feelings of personal embarrassment and distrust or dislike for doctors (
32% ). - Embarrassment and fear of bad news prevents nearly 1 in 4 young women, particularly Gen Z, from getting screenings on time.
- Nearly half (
48% ) of Americans face logistical barriers such as conflicts with work hours and challenges taking time off work for appointments. - Nearly
40% of Americans have canceled or not scheduled a doctor's appointment because the wait time was too long.
Americans have avoided these common preventive care screenings: pap smear (
Reactive versus proactive health care
The survey reveals possible cognitive dissonance taking place: Americans know they should take a moment to schedule a preventive care screening or wellness visit, but their behavior often suggests otherwise. For
Experiencing a personal health scare reinforced the importance of preventive care for Aflac Senior Vice President and Chief Actuary Tom Morey. In his mid-20s, he faced a significant and sudden health crisis that kept him out of work for nearly two years and in and out of hospitals for 18 months.
"My personal experiences bring a clear focus on the concerning uptick, as our study reveals, in the number of Americans who may not be on a path to good health. Many avoid going to the doctor instead of doing what they can to avoid a health scare or detect a problem early," said Morey. "It starts with making preventive care a priority and taking steps toward establishing a trusted relationship with a primary care doctor. Personally, this helped me to feel more confident, more in control of my health and more empowered to deal with an illness that, otherwise, may have gone undetected."
Where Americans are turning — or not — for health care
Urgent care and emergency rooms provide significant value in American society; however, according to the study, having a primary care physician is correlated with being more likely to get regular checkups. Yet nearly 1 in 5 Americans does not have a regular primary care physician who knows them and understands their medical history. The most common reason for not having a primary care physician is feeling healthy, but that could lead to fewer screenings and more costly health care. Many Americans (
While younger generations still visit their doctors, they are more likely than older generations to consult family and friends — and turn to social media — regarding health concerns. While Americans were still slow to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) over the last 12 months, many Americans (
Gender differences emerging across many aspects of health
Among Americans under age 60, women are most likely to admit to skipping common recommended screenings: Gen Z women (
Survey data reveals a chasm between young men and women's beliefs around their health and their agency to control it. In fact, Gen Z women (
An even wider gap is uncovered in financial health confidence: Gen Z women (
When people are confident that their loved ones prioritize their health, they also are more likely to do so. In fact,
The study also finds that families who prioritize health tend to do so together. Many Americans say their spouses or partners are their biggest health advocates after themselves. Parents advocate for their children, with one-third of African Americans and one-third of
African Americans are more likely than other ethnic groups to be diagnosed during a regularly scheduled screening (
"Having a 'we are in this together' approach to our health may lead to better outcomes for Americans, their families and loved ones," said Morey. "One way to advocate is to schedule preventive care appointments together, at the same time. Our survey shows that Americans who book health appointments at a specific time of year are twice as likely to follow through with recommended checkups and screenings."
Aflac Wellness Matters Survey results are available to American consumers, health care providers, families and health-related stakeholders to educate and inspire a healthier population. To learn more about the 2025 Wellness Matters Survey and find tips on how to take charge of your own health and encourage others to prioritize theirs, visit Aflac.com/WellnessMatters.
ABOUT THE 2025 AFLAC WELLNESS MATTERS SURVEY
This third annual Aflac Wellness Matters Survey, conducted in January 2025, provides insight into the health care attitudes, behaviors and influences of
ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for nearly seven decades to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the
Media contact: Jon Sullivan, 706-763-4813 or jsullivan@aflac.com
Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or dyoung@aflac.com
1 2025 Wellness Matters Survey
2 LIMRA 2024 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report
Aflac's family of insurers include American Family Life Assurance Company of
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SOURCE Aflac
FAQ
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