iHeard sends a weekly alert to community partners highlighting top findings and priorities, accurate health information, and local resources to support a community-wide response.

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Latest Alerts

1 in 5 St. Louis adults have heard about rising RSV cases

1 in 5 St. Louis adults have heard about rising RSV cases

In parts of the U.S., infections from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are on the rise. About 1 in 5 St. Louisans (20%) say they’ve heard about the increase. RSV infection typically causes mild cold-like symptoms but can be severe among infants and older adults. Among St. Louis adults surveyed, African American community members were more […]
News about the updated COVID vaccine spreads

News about the updated COVID vaccine spreads

For the last 10 weeks, St. Louis has seen a steady increase in the proportion of adults who have heard that the FDA recommended an updated COVID vaccine for the fall. In last week’s survey, 40% of St. Louis adults had heard about the FDA recommending an updated COVID vaccine. This survey was administered just […]
New variants. New vaccine. What are St. Louisans hearing?

New variants. New vaccine. What are St. Louisans hearing?

We asked St. Louis adults what they are hearing about COVID-19. In the last 7 days, nearly two-thirds (65%) have heard that COVID cases are rising. This is a big increase from last week (+42%). In addition, 35% heard there is a new COVID variant, and 37% heard that FDA advisers recommended an update to […]
St. Louisans say COVID cases are rising

St. Louisans say COVID cases are rising

We asked St. Louis adults if they had heard “COVID cases are rising” in the past week. Almost half (46%) said “yes” and nearly all of them (93%) believed it was true.    When the same respondents were asked about their own COVID precautions such as mask-wearing, hand-washing, avoiding close contact or large gatherings, 11% reported […]
St. Louisans quick to hear about FDA-approved postpartum depression pill

St. Louisans quick to hear about FDA-approved postpartum depression pill

Only one week after the FDA approved a new pill for postpartum depression, nearly 30% of St. Louis adults surveyed had heard the news. Increasing community awareness of this treatment is an important part of protecting moms, babies and families in St. Louis. According to the CDC, 1 in 8 women who recently gave birth […]
UPDATE: Impact of changes at St. Louis-area hospitals may vary by race

UPDATE: Impact of changes at St. Louis-area hospitals may vary by race

In last week’s poll, 38% of St. Louis adults surveyed reported hearing about the closure of SSM Level II trauma services at DePaul Hospital in North County. This week, we asked respondents if they would be affected by the change, and separately, if they would be affected the expected closure of South City Hospital.  Almost 1 […]
More St. Louisans’ hearing about lost trauma services in North County

More St. Louisans’ hearing about lost trauma services in North County

Within weeks, North County’s DePaul Hospital will be ending its Level II trauma services. That news is spreading in St. Louis: 38% of adults surveyed this week heard about the change in service, up 68% from the prior week. SSM Health announced that on September 10th it will end Level II trauma services at DePaul […]
St. Louis heat: Only 1 in 4 know where to get help to stay cool

St. Louis heat: Only 1 in 4 know where to get help to stay cool

We asked St. Louis adults, “If someone you know in St. Louis needs help staying cool or paying utility bills from air conditioning, do you know where to send them?” Only 24% said “yes.” The majority (63%) said “no,” while 13% were “not sure.” Younger St. Louisans (under age 40) were less likely to know […]
What would reduce gun violence in St. Louis? Poll shows views about what could work

What would reduce gun violence in St. Louis? Poll shows views about what could work

In a poll from June 24-26, St. Louis adults rated gun violence as the biggest health problem in St. Louis. Three weeks later, in a follow-up survey among the same adults, 37% selected “banning semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles” as the most effective way of reducing gun violence in St. Louis, followed by “increasing the […]
Expanding safe places for St. Louis youth: 3 in 10 St. Louisans have heard

Expanding safe places for St. Louis youth: 3 in 10 St. Louisans have heard

More St. Louis organizations are expanding access to safe spaces for young people, and at least some in St. Louis are getting the message. In this week’s poll, 43% of African American adults surveyed and 25% of Whites had heard about it. Adults ages 40 and older were more likely to have heard it than […]
Racial, age differences in top two biggest health concerns in St. Louis

Racial, age differences in top two biggest health concerns in St. Louis

Although there was widespread agreement in last week’s survey about the biggest health concerns facing St. Louis, we found some differences by sub-group that are relevant for local community leaders and service providers to consider. Respondents chose from 13 health problems: Gun violence, Mental health, Healthcare access and cost, Drug abuse, Traffic safety, Obesity, Reproductive […]
Poll: Large majority rates gun violence top health concern in St. Louis

Poll: Large majority rates gun violence top health concern in St. Louis

In the latest iHeard survey, we asked St. Louis adults what they considered the biggest and second biggest health problem facing St. Louis. By a landslide margin, most people named gun violence the area’s biggest health problem.  The order of health problems in our survey was randomized for each respondent. This week’s report is based on […]
New Mammogram Guideline: Few St. Louisans are aware of Lowered Age Limit to 40

New Mammogram Guideline: Few St. Louisans are aware of Lowered Age Limit to 40

It’s been one month since a new recommendation was announced to lower the starting age for mammograms from 50 to 40 years, but awareness of the guideline remains low in St. Louis. Only 19% of St. Louis adults surveyed heard last week about the new recommendation, a 39% decline from when we first asked about […]
Free gun locks at St. Louis hospitals, but few know about it

Free gun locks at St. Louis hospitals, but few know about it

St. Louis hospitals are now distributing free gunlocks to help reduce firearm injuries, but only 15% of St. Louis adults surveyed have heard about the initiative. African American community members were more likely to have heard about it than Whites (26% vs 9%). On June 2, 2023, SSM Health joined 8 other hospitals across the […]
AI and healthcare: St. Louisans report limited understanding, more negative than positive

AI and healthcare: St. Louisans report limited understanding, more negative than positive

Only 8% of a panel of St. Louis adults said they understood Artificial intelligence (AI) “very well,” and asked specifically about AI and healthcare, more had heard about potential negative impacts than benefits (50% vs. 38%). Most respondents said they understood AI only “somewhat well” (61%), or “not well at all” (30%). Males reported greater […]
St. Louis adults: Social media effects on youth are mostly negative

St. Louis adults: Social media effects on youth are mostly negative

Nearly half (46%) of St. Louis adults surveyed think that social media’s effect on youth is mostly negative. Only 4% think it is mostly positive, and the rest think it is equally positive and negative (37%) or don’t know (14%). When asked who is most responsible for making social media safer for young people, 45% […]