Harvard Opinion Research Program (HORP)
The Harvard Opinion Research Program (HORP) conducts and analyzes public opinion research about public health and emergencies, health care policy, economic and social policies, international public health, and elections, revealing the attitudes and experiences shaping health and politics across the U.S. and around the world.
Email
gsteel@hsph.harvard.edu
Phone
617-432-2859
Public Views of H1N1 – I April 2009
FIELD DATES: April 29, 2009
SELECT FINDINGS:
- Concerns about the outbreak – Nearly half of Americans were concerned (46%) that they or someone in their immediate family may get sick from “swine flu” during the next 12 months.
- Americans’ response to the outbreak – More than half of Americans were responding to the outbreak by washing their hands or using hand sanitizer more frequently (59%). A quarter were avoiding places where many people are gathered, like sporting events, malls or public transportation (25%).
- Beliefs about “swine flu” – An overwhelming majority of Americans believed that they can get the current “swine flu” from being in close contact with someone who has it (83%), and few believed that they can get the disease from eating pork (13%). Some Americans also believed that they can get the “swine flu” from being near, but not in close contact with, someone with “swine flu” (29%), or from being in contact with pigs (34%).
- Awareness of “H1N1” versus “swine flu” – The majority of Americans (55%) had not heard of the term “H1N1” virus. Only one in five (20%) thought it meant the same thing as “swine flu.”
METHODS AND SAMPLE: Telephone poll conducted with a representative national sample of 1,067 adults age 18 and over, including oversamples of non-Hispanic African Americans and Hispanics. 130 non-Hispanic African Americans and 107 Hispanics were interviewed.
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