Hong Kong ranks itself low on overall well-being

A new study has revealed that Hong Kongers are least satisfied with their general health and well-being compared to their counterparts in China and Thailand.

The independent study, commissioned by global health service company Cigna, assessed individuals in China, Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, New Zealand and the United Kingdom about their perceived levels of overall “well-being” across five key indices, including physical, social, family, financial and workplace health.

Out of the six countries surveyed, less than one-third of Hong Kongers assessed their own health and well-being as excellent or very good, while only 22 percent said they were  prepared for unexpected medical expenses.

A further 40 percent of those surveyed in Hong Kong slept six hours or less per night, sacrificing much needed snooze time for the Internet, with 64 percent saying they spent more time online in the past 12 months.

These findings echo concerns in Hong Kong about increased cost of living – 68 percent surveyed cited it as their top concern; the rising cost of healthcare (45 percent and a generally aging population (33 percent), with only 21 percent feeling ‘positive’ about their financial health.

In stark comparison, China led the way in Asia with almost one in ten surveyed perceiving their health as ‘excellent’ with a further 33 percent reporting their health as ‘very good.’ In addition, the majority of respondents in China (54 percent) and Thailand (48 percent) believed their health and well-being has improved in the past 12 months, compared to 75 percent in Hong Kong who reported that they weren’t better than before.

“The survey suggests, in comparison with other countries, that the ‘sleepless’ Hong Kong citizens believe they are physically, emotionally and financially stressed, overweight and even somewhat socially isolated. However, when we drill deeper into the findings we find that, in their somewhat negative perceptions, they may be doing themselves something of a disservice,” said Austin Marsh, chief executive officer and country manager of Cigna Hong Kong, in a press release.

Despite the perceived negative outcomes, Hong Kongers are still on par, if not better, than other countries surveyed in measures of body weight, diet, sleep, and alcohol consumption.

“I think in general, maybe the Hong Kong market is a bit more critical of themselves than some of those other markets, so people are relatively savvy on health needs and the different metrics around that,” Marsh said in a press conference. “People are very aware and then they tend to grade themselves rather harshly, so I think that’s what derived that lower score compared to some of the other markets.”

Further links:
Cigna.com.hk