Healthways (HWAY) and Gallup recently announced the results of the monthly Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (“WBI”) Report for April 2011. The overarching WBI composite measure remained on the lower side at 66.2, relatively unchanged from 66.3 recorded in March. For the eighth consecutive month, the measure has remained range-bound between 66.0 and 66.7, demonstrating minimal shift in the overall well-being of the American people.
Among the various sub-component indexes, the Basic Access Index stagnated at 82.1. Just 82.7% of Americans had health insurance, representing the nadir till date. The number of Americans with convenient access to perishables, such as fruits and vegetables, declined for the second consecutive month. This statistic stood at 90.3, down approximately 2 points year over year.
The overall stagnation of the composite measure was brought about by a drop in Life Evaluation to 48.4, which more than offset the seasonal improvement of the Physical Health and Healthy Behavior sub-indices. The proportion of Americans reportedly thriving declined over 4 points from 56.5 in March to 52.1 in the reported month.
Among other measures, about 20.6% of Americans were again reported to be smokers. The Work Environment remained mired at 47, below the pre-recession level of 50 (in 2008). The Emotional Health Index was grounded at 78.8, while those undergoing stress declined to 58.3, a drop for the third consecutive month.
Healthways is a prominent vendor of specialized and composite solutions, enabling recipients to maintain or improve their well-being and, consequently, reduce systemic healthcare costs. The company’s solutions are intended to keep people healthy and mitigate lifestyle risk factors that can cause disease and optimize care for those with chronic illness. Healthways competes with Express Scripts (ESRX) among others.
Gallupis known for providing timely and pertinent research on opinion. The company employs scientists in disciplines such as economics, sociology, management and psychology. Its consultants identify and monitor behavioral economic indicators on a worldwide basis, thereby enabling companies to increase organic growth.
The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index is an original and large survey, which conducts 1,000 calls each and every day. It is the official measure for well-being in the U.S. providing a daily gauge of individuals’ well-being at the end of each day based on the World Health Organization (“WHO”) definition of health being not only the absence of disease and infirmity but also a state of mental, physical and social well-being.
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