People who are satisfied with the city they live in are less likely to have a variety of health problems than those who are not happy with where they’re living, according to a Gallup poll. The survey found similar disparities in those who thought their city was improving and those who thought their city was getting worse.
In the survey, those who were liked where they live reported a health index of 78.0, while those were unhappy reported a figure of 69.1. Those who believed their city was improving reported a health index of 79.5, while those who thought their city was deteriorating had an index of 70.9.
Differences between those who were unhappy and happy with their place of residence were also shown in a range of health problems including obesity, headaches, and asthma. The biggest gap between the two groups was in the categories “physical pain yesterday” (22 percent of those who were satisfied versus 34 percent of those who were not) and a sixteen-point difference between those who felt well-rested and those who didn’t 73 percent vs. 57 percent.
However, high blood pressure and diabetes percentages were exactly the same for those who were satisfied and those who were dissatisfied with where they lived: 30 percent and 11 percent, respectively.
In addition, the safety of communities may also be a factor in residents’ health. Seventy-eight percent of those who classified their community as safe said it was easy to find a safe place to exercise, while 62 percent of those who thought their community was unsafe said they could not find a safe place to exercise.
The Gallup/Healthways poll was based on interviews with 1,000 adults.
