New Red Cross Survey Finds That Women
are Taking the Risk of Swine Flu More Seriously Than Men
MONTGOMERY, AL Wednesday, October
21, 2009 — A new American
Red Cross poll shows that while concerns about exposure to
the H1N1 (swine flu) virus remain high, women are more
likely than men to make extra efforts to cover coughs and
sneezes with tissue, wash their hands more carefully and use
hand sanitizer more often.
Since it was first identified in April,
the H1N1 virus has been spreading across the country and the
world. The new Red Cross survey of 1,005 adults in the U.S.,
which was completed October 11th, found that 22 percent said
they know someone who has had the H1N1 virus.
The survey found significant differences
in how men and women have reacted to the threat of the H1N1
flu.
|
|
Women |
Men |
|
Made an extra effort to cover
coughs and sneezes with a tissue |
83% |
67% |
|
Made an extra effort to clean
surfaces at home or at work with disinfectant |
72% |
53% |
|
Started to use hand sanitizer
more often |
66% |
50% |
|
Made an extra effort to avoid
touching your eyes, nose and mouth |
64% |
47% |
“The flu doesn’t favor one gender over
another, so it’s important for everyone to take steps to
reduce the spread of H1N1,” said Sharon Stanley, Chief Nurse
of the American Red Cross.
The survey also found that vaccination is
on the minds of women. The survey found that more women
(35%) have gotten their seasonal flu shots this year than
men (26%). At the same time, women are more concerned than
men about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine, with 60% of women
expressing concern to 44% of men.
“Vaccines are the most powerful public
health tool for controlling both the seasonal flu and the
H1N1 virus,” Stanley said. “In addition to getting
vaccinated against the flu, men, women and children can help
reduce their exposure by practicing good hand-washing
hygiene, using hand sanitizer and covering their cough.”
Many People Going to Work or
School When Sick
The survey also looked at how Americans
are responding to H1N1 in the work place and found that in
the past two months, in one in five households, someone has
gone to work or school when they were sick.
“People who have the flu should stay home
from work or school to help prevent passing the illness on
to someone else,” said Stanley. “Each of us has the
responsibility to be a good neighbor. To help keep others
from becoming sick, do your part by washing your hands,
sneezing into your arm, using hand sanitizer and staying
home when ill.”
While 70 percent of Americans are
confident that they could take time off from work to care
for someone with the flu, only 20 percent have actually
talked to their supervisor about what happens if they need
to take time off from work.
Additional survey findings:
- 78% started
washing their hands more carefully and more often.
- 63% are making an
extra effort to clean surfaces at home or work with
disinfectant.
- 73% know what
symptoms to look for that would tell them if their loved
one needed to go to a hospital.
As with any emergency, the Red Cross
encourages people to prepare by getting an emergency kit,
making a plan and being informed.
The Red Cross has recently released a
Pandemic Flu educational program for small businesses to
help raise awareness and educate workplaces on what to
expect and how to plan for a pandemic. Smaller companies
often operate with fewer resources and limited capacity
compared to their larger counterparts and can be
particularly at risk for disruptions resulting from a flu
pandemic.
More information about H1N1 and the
seasonal flu is available at
www.redcross.org/pandemicflu. This site contains video
resources, preparedness tips and information about how to
help lessen the spread of the flu virus as well as
information for people caring for loved ones with the flu.
The Red Cross also has products available at
www.redcrossstore.org that promote healthier
environments and help people protect themselves from the
spread of germs.
The telephone survey of 1,005 U.S.
adults 18 years and older was conducted October 8-11, 2009
by CARAVAN® Opinion Research Corporation. The margin of
error is +/- 3.1 percent.
CARAVAN® Opinion Research Corporation
conducted three telephone surveys of U.S. Adults on behalf
of the American Red Cross, with the most recent in October
2009 (May 1-4, 2009, 1,004 Respondents; July 17-20, 2009,
1,002 Respondents; and October 8-11, 2009, 1,005
Respondents). Margin of error for each is +/- 3.1 percent
at the 95% confidence level.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides
emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly
half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills;
provides international humanitarian aid; and supports
military members and their families. The Red Cross is a
charitable organization — not a government agency — and
depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American
public to perform its mission. For more information, please
visit
www.montgomeryarc.org
for local information and
www.redcross.org or join our blog at
http://blog.redcross.org for a national overview.
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