http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatJapanThinks/~3/VkSpsijwc4U/
http://whatjapanthinks.com/?p=2418
This detailed survey from DIMSDRIVE Research into new-type influenza or swine flu, found that surprisingly few people are always wearing masks as a preventative measure. Perhaps there is a degree of confirmation bias in our own personal experiences as mask wearers do stand out, so we remember the definite sightings from a busy day on the train but forget the times when there’s just a couple of masks in the carriage.
Demographics
Between the 14th and 29th of October 2009 13,263 members of the DIMSDRIVE monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 54.1% of the sample were male, 0.8% in their teens, 8.9% in their twenties, 28.3% in their thirties, 32.0% in their forties, 19.0% in their fifties, and 11.0% aged sixty or older. Note that this survey was performed during a period when the number of reported cases was rapidly increasing.
Note that the Japanese term is 新型インフルエンザ, shingata infuruenza, new-type flu, but I’ll use swine flu in this translation as it’s easier to understand.
At work we have a bottle of disinfectant at the door that I always use just to show willing, but I don’t use it anywhere else.
I went today to the barber and all the staff were masked up, but no-one seemed to have a cough, but I suppose given the close-up work a barber does the mask is reassuring to the customer.
Research results
Q1: Have you had influenza this past year? (Sample size=13,263, multiple answer)
| Yes, seasonal flu |
4.9% |
| Yes, swine flu |
1.0% |
| No flu at all |
94.3% |
Q2: How worried are you about swine flu? (Sample size=13,263\)
| Extremely worried |
13.3% |
| A little worried |
46.5% |
| Not really worried |
30.9% |
| Not worried at all |
6.2% |
| Don’t really know |
3.1% |
Women were a bit more worried than men, and having young children was a major factor in increasing anxiety. 42.9% of the people with a pregnant women in the family were very worried, and another 44.1% were quite worried.
Q3: Which of the following swine flu-related topics do you know the details of? (Sample size=13,263, multiple answer)
| Priority order for vaccination |
58.6% |
| Symptoms |
56.9% |
| What sort of people are at risk of complications |
48.6% |
| How to prevent catching it |
45.9% |
| Incubation period |
32.3% |
| What to do if you think you have caught it |
30.6% |
| How to treat it if you catch it |
29.3% |
| How to get vaccinated |
18.9% |
| Other |
0.3% |
| Nothing in particular |
14.4% |
Q4: When you go out and visit places with alcohol disinfectant at the doors, do you use it? (Sample size=13,263, multiple answer)
| Always disinfect |
10.2% |
| Try to always disinfect |
38.5% |
| Don’t disinfect much |
30.5% |
| Don’t disinfect at all |
20.8% |
As one might guess, the more worried people were the more likely they were to use disinfectant.
Q5: Which of the following swine flu preventative methods have you done as part of a daily routine? (Sample size=13,263, multiple answer)
| Wash hands |
78.2% |
| Gargle |
64.4% |
| Get enough sleep |
35.1% |
| Avoid crowded places |
30.1% |
| Eat nourishing meals |
30.0% |
| Live a regular lifestyle |
26.4% |
| Wear a mask (to SQ) |
22.8% |
| Air rooms properly |
18.3% |
| Avoid going out |
13.3% |
| Maintain room humidity |
11.4% |
| Use alcohol disinfectant at home |
11.1% |
| Avoid travelling to countries with epidemic outbreaks |
8.3% |
| Other |
0.7% |
| Nothing at all |
12.8% |
Almost half of all people with a pregnancy in the family wore masks.
Q5SQ: When do you wear a mask? (Sample size=3,030, multiple answer)
| Whenever I go out |
25.5% |
| In crowded indoor locations (cinema, theatre, etc) |
35.3% |
| On public transport |
34.0% |
| When there’s a lot of people coughing |
26.0% |
| At school, work |
16.6% |
| In crowded outdoor locations (stadium, shopping arcade, etc) |
16.4% |
| Travelling to work, school (other than by public transport) |
10.8% |
| At home |
3.6% |
| Other |
3.2% |
| No particular time or place |
10.6% |
Next, it was explained that according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare web site as of the 2nd of October 2009 it would be 3,600 yen for the first shot and 2,550 yen for the second, if from the same hospital. If from a different hospital, the second time would also be 3,600 yen. However, those on a low income (about 30% of the population) would get some kind of discount from their local government.
Q6: What do you think about the cost of getting vaccinated? (Sample size=13,263)
| Reasonable |
16.9% |
| A little expensive |
49.7% |
| Too expensive so won’t get it |
28.6% |
| Don’t know |
4.8% |
Younger people were more likely to think the price was reasonable, although I suspect the motivation was due to not being in any of the high-risk groups thus not needing to get it.
Q7: Would you yourself want to get a swine flu vaccination? (Sample size=13,263)
| Want to get vaccinated |
16.1% |
| Perhaps want to get vaccinated |
24.1% |
| Don’t really want to get vaccinated |
33.4% |
| Don’t want to get vaccinated at all |
16.2% |
| Don’t really know |
10.2% |
As with masks, the younger one’s children were the more likely people were to want to get vaccinated. The same trend was even more obvious by degrees of worry - almost half of those very worried about swine flu defintely wanted to get the jab.
Q8: What would you like to know regarding swine flu vaccination? (Sample size=13,263, multiple answer)
| Whether there are side-effects, what kinds of side-effects |
52.2% |
| The safety of it |
44.8% |
| How effective it is as a preventative |
41.2% |
| Which hospitals I can get it at |
36.9% |
| If I can get it soon after applying |
34.0% |
| From how soon after getting it will it be effective |
26.1% |
| Whether I can choose imported or domestic vaccine |
25.3% |
| Whether I will have adverse reactions |
24.5% |
| Whether I can get vaccinated if I have a chronic disease |
19.0% |
| Other |
1.0% |
| No particular questions |
18.0% |
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A bit of a rant, flist, by the fact I've spent way too much time talking on this epic fail of a post:
exhausted
amused
dorky
frustrated
productive![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
weird
grateful
anxious
[
rushed