Americans prioritize their home’s health over their own personal health

According to a new poll, homeowners are more likely to look after their home’s health than their own and they look to the fall as a time to get back to routine and readjust their priorities.

The survey of 2,000 Americans ages 25-54 found that of those who own a home, their home’s health scored priority over their own personal health during the fall season (71% vs. 57%).

Moreover, most Americans see fall as a time to get back into routine (73%), needing to fulfill priorities like “getting my schedule organized,” “getting the kids settled in school again” or “winterizing my home or cars.” Yet only 20% reported being on top of routine doctor visits.

Results also showed that nearly two-thirds of respondents see fall as a time to readjust their priorities for the coming year (64%).

Conducted by OnePoll for MDLIVE, the survey found that while respondents feel most on top of paying bills (46%), taking care of their family (36%) and their career (21%), 53% have a hard time prioritizing their time across all the things they need to manage.

Half of respondents (51%) said that during the fall, they’d need at least five more hours in the week to complete everything they need to get done. Parents (26%) and homeowners (25%) may be the most stretched for time, citing needing at least nine extra hours.

And when that time is limited, personal health seems to take a back seat. Nearly half (47%) said that being busy means they often put off their personal health care – especially those who are parents (50%).

“With increasing inflation risk and falling COVID concerns, people are turning their attention towards maintaining the health of their things over the health of themselves,” said Dr. Vontrelle Roundtree, interim chief medical officer at MDLIVE. “However, routine maintenance to prevent a breakdown in your health is just as important as preventive maintenance on your car or your home, and virtual care is one convenient way to stay on schedule with preventive maintenance checks for your health.”

When they do prioritize health, respondents generally spend more time caring for their kids’ health and their partner’s health over their own, but 56% know that putting off their personal wellness affects how well they can care for other aspects of their life.

People are more likely to give into taking care of their health because of their anxiety (39%) and fear (31%), while being more likely to develop habits/regular care for their car (25%) or home (27%).

Similarly, many respondents would be concerned about their health only if they noticed sudden symptoms (35%) or gradual changes (30%), compared to 24% of homeowners who preemptively maintain their homes. And just 15% of respondents said they would check up on their health without a concern popping up.

Money may also be a factor, since half of respondents shared that they’ve skipped going to a doctor because they couldn’t afford the visit, and 39% said that putting their health care first would be too much of an expense.

In fact, results also showed that respondents’ health may be falling to the back burner, expressing more concern about their finances (72% vs. 59%) than their own well-being.

“The cost of preventive maintenance is typically far less than the cost of a repair due to breakdown, and typically takes less time; for your health, preventive care is often covered by your health insurance, and easy to access,” said Dr. Roundtree. “With fall season routines, it’s important for consumers to think of their health with a maintenance mindset just like they do the other things that require routine upkeep.”