A recent study from Humana and Reader’s Digest has found a number of interesting differences in how America’s generations view their health and well-being. In fact, 64 percent of older Americans (age 65 and older) say having “good health” is most important to them, even more than a close knit family or financial security – while 69 percent of younger Americans (age 64 and younger) say having a close-knit family is most important to them.

The nationwide survey of 1,000 people examined health behaviors and opinions across age groups in America and found a number of other key differences. For example, 40 percent of older adults equate “good health” with being happy, while 46 percent of young Americans define “good health” as being in better shape.

The infographic above highlights the differences in how younger and older people think about their health. We believe these findings illustrate the importance of finding new ways to help motivate people to make healthy choices based on what is most important to them.  This is why we have launched innovative, personalized well-being programs like HumanaVitality for our members.

Other key findings from the study include:

• 42 percent of seniors, compared to 29 percent of Americans overall, engage in no physical activity that raises their heart rate over the course of a week
• Americans are sedentary for slightly more than 7 hours a day – more time than is typically spent sleeping.
• One in 10 Americans have four or more meals from a fast food restaurant over the course of each week.
• Working moms are more likely (58 percent) to participate in regular daily physical activities (e.g. taking walks, using stairs, going to a gym) than working dads (37 percent).

More information from this survey will be published in upcoming issues of Reader’s Digest.

When you or a family member is sick or has an injury, you are faced with an emotional and potentially costly question: Is it minor enough to wait for a doctor’s appointment or should you seek care at a hospital emergency room (ER)?

Deciding where to seek care can be a confusing and stressful decision, especially when there is the possibility of waiting days for an appointment to see your primary care physician. Your first call should be to your physician or your child’s pediatrician. Most Humana members can also seek basic health information from the 24-hour Nurse Advice Line (1-800-622-9529), which can be found on the back of their membership ID cards. Nobody should ever take the risk of letting a health condition worsen by waiting or avoid emergency care because of cost considerations. But if you are certain that you do not have a life-threatening emergency, an urgent care center may be an option to the ER.

Concentra, a subsidiary of Humana, is one of the nation’s largest occupational health providers and a fast-growing provider of community-based urgent care services. Concentra is focused on finding ways to help people understand their options when deciding where to seek care. As part of this effort, Concentra recently created an infographic (PDF) that provides an easy-to-understand, visual explanation of the types of minor injuries and illnesses that can usually be treated in an urgent care facility.

This infographic was recently featured in Benefits Magazine (February 2012 issue, Vol. 49, No. 2, page 11) as part of “quick look” series. Additionally, the Department of Defense, NAF Personnel Policy Division, featured the infographic in both its internal and external health benefits newsletter (PDF).

The holidays are an important time for families to come together, which is why Humana created an infographic to show what motivates seniors to stay connected, and ways they hope to leave their legacies. Our infographic is based on a national survey conducted with the National Council on Aging.

Our study looked at how seniors and boomers across the U.S. are interacting with their families. One fascinating finding: A family holiday visit this year may have lasting impact on a loved one’s health, as 90 percent of our survey respondents say they feel “revitalized” by family time.

You can read more about our study at Humana.com or on the program’s Facebook Page.

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Up to 70 percent of the nation’s health care budget is consumed by behavioral issues including tobacco use, poor diet, inactivity and stress. Many people eat the wrong foods, exercise too little and, in some cases, even ignore their doctors’ orders.

We created an infographic to show with the right incentives, many people would be motivated to take the road to better health and better lives. The infographic is based on third-party research, as well as a national survey we conducted on behalf of HumanaVitality, our new wellness and loyalty program that features a wide range of well-being tools and rewards from leading reward-partners. A key element of the program is a sophisticated health-behavior-change model supported by an incentive program. You can read more about it at HumanaVitality.com or on the program’s Facebook Page.

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