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.
- On gun violence: This was the top health concern for all groups in St. Louis, regardless of age, race or sex. Respondents with children under 18 living in their home were especially likely to rate gun violence as their top concern – 63% vs. 51% for those without children living in their home.
- On mental health: This was the second greatest health concern overall, but there were differences by race. Black respondents were more likely than Whites to rank mental health as the biggest or second biggest health concern facing St. Louis (37% vs. 22%).
Respondents chose from 13 health problems: Gun violence, Mental health, Healthcare access and cost, Drug abuse, Traffic safety, Obesity, Reproductive healthcare (including contraception and access to abortion), Heart disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Climate change, COVID-19 and Long COVID, and Transgender healthcare. The order in which the health problems appeared was randomized for each respondent.
This week’s report is based on 162 responses from a panel of adult residents of St. Louis City and County surveyed from Saturday, June 24, to Monday, June 26, 2023. Explore these data and more at iHeardSTL.
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