For the second year in a row, gun violence and mental health are the top health concerns of St. Louis adults. Healthcare access and costs and drug abuse/addiction/overdose were 3rd and 4th.
The survey
St. Louis adults (n=141) were asked, “What is the biggest health problem facing St. Louis?” After choosing from 14 options, they were asked, “What is the second biggest health problem facing St. Louis?” A large majority (63%) chose gun violence as the biggest or second biggest health problem, far ahead of the next highest priorities: mental health (27%), healthcare access and costs (24%), and drug abuse/addiction/overdose (23%). When the same survey was conducted in 2023, 70% rated gun violence as the biggest or second biggest health problem.
How does St. Louis compare to national results?
The survey was administered to 558 adults in five states who were asked to rate the top concerns in their states. Nationally, the top health concerns were gun violence (35%), drug abuse/addiction/overdose (32%), mental health (31%) and healthcare access and costs (30%). The proportion of adults rating gun violence as the top priority was much higher in St. Louis (63%) than all other states (9-38%). Nearly 15% of St. Louis adults rated traffic safety as the biggest or second biggest health problem facing St. Louis, much higher than all other states (2-10%). Nationally 12% of respondents rated COVID-19 and Long COVID as the biggest health problem, but only 1% of St. Louis respondents selected it.
Other results
Reproductive health (13%) and obesity (10%) were rated as the biggest or second biggest health problem by about 1 in 10 St. Louis respondents. No other problem reached 5%: diabetes (4%), extreme weather (4%), heart disease (4%), mother and child health (3%), and cancer (2%).
Share the findings, see what others think
Do you and those you know agree with these concerns? Share the resources below and ask what people think. Talking about community health challenges can help focus response efforts.
Survey information
This week’s report is based on responses from a panel of 558 adult residents of St. Louis, MO (n = 141), Omaha, NE (n = 84), Texas (n = 59), Baltimore, MD (n = 168) and Colorado (n = 106) surveyed July 20-22, 2024. Explore these data and more at iHeardSTL.
Download the graphics below to share about this topic.
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We asked St. Louisans: “What are your top 2 health concerns for our community?” Do you agree with what they said? What are your top health concerns for our community?
#iHeardSTL
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Remember: Call 988 for mental health emergencies and 211 for a wide range of health and social services. Let’s prioritize our well-being and find the help we need together!
#iHeardSTL #HealthConcerns #SupportResources #988 #211
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