Survey Shows Seat Belt Use Increases to Highest Level Ever in
the U.S.
* 85% of adults now claim to always wear seat belts in front seats of
cars
* Obesity is still a major U.S. health concern
* Smoking by Americans hardly declines in recent years
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 15 -- Twenty years ago, when The Harris
Poll(R) first began to track seat belt use, only 19% of American adults
claimed to wear front-seat restraints while driving. Over the years, this
proportion has risen steadily from the 1983 low point. By 1985, after some
states had begun to mandate seat belt use, it had risen to 41%. By 1990 it
was up to 65%. By 1995, the percentage of those using seat belts had risen to
73%, and by 2000 it reached 79%. Now it has jumped again to fully 85% of all
adults. In other words, less than one adult in every six does not wear a seat
belt when driving or riding in the passenger seat.
This Harris Poll of 1,023 adults surveyed by telephone between December
12 and 16, 2002 was conducted by Harris Interactive(R). These results are
part of the annual survey which measures the proportions of adults who are
overweight, smoke and do not wear seat belts -- three major causes of disease,
death and disability. The trends run in very different directions.
Overweight and Obesity
"The trend here is a disaster which will surely cause millions of
premature deaths from heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers and other
diseases," said Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll at Harris
Interactive. "Over the twenty years since 1983, the proportion of all adults
over 25 who are seriously overweight -- exceeding the recommended weight for
their height and body frame by 20% or more -- has increased remorselessly from
15% to 33%." And, he concludes, "This is a public health catastrophe in the
making."
Smoking
The proportion of adults who smoke cigarettes has fallen from 30%, twenty
years ago; but the sad truth is that the decline has been glacial and appears
to have plateaued at 23% (last year) or 24% (in this year's survey).
Taylor states, "While our survey of 1,023 people is not large enough to
detect very small changes, we must note, with regret, that our data show
hardly any decline in the smoking rate over the last decade."
This failure of the public health efforts to reduce smoking may surprise
some readers. To many people, smoking appears to have declined because it is
not allowed in most offices, many restaurants and other public spaces and is,
therefore, much less visible. But the smoking habit is very addictive (other
Harris Interactive surveys have shown that most smokers have tried several
times, but failed, to quit.) And tobacco companies have been remarkably
successful in recruiting new, young smokers to fill the gaps of those who have
quit.
Given the bad news on obesity, and the resilience of smoking, it is good
to be able to report at least one great success story in public health: the
approaching universal use of seat belts in the front seats of cars. However,
data from other countries (some of which mandate seat belt use in back seats
also) show that seat belt use in the United States still lags behind some
European countries.
Demographic Differences
This survey confirms that those who are socially and economically
disadvantaged tend to have worse health behaviors than people with more
education and higher incomes.
Obesity is most common among African Americans (43%) and those who did not
go to college (36%) or did not graduate from college (37%). It is lowest
among those with postgraduate education (22%) and those with household incomes
of $75,000 or more (20%).
Seat belt use and smoking follow similar patterns, with the lowest
proportions of those smoking cigarettes found among college graduates (8%) and
those with a postgraduate education (8%).
TABLE 1
SMOKING, OVERWEIGHT AND SEAT BELT USE
TRENDS 1983 - 2002
Base: All adults
20% or Always
Smoke Are More Wear
Cigarettes Overweight* Overweight* Seatbelts**
1983 % 30 58 15 19
1984 % 28 56 N/A 27
1985 % 30 62 15 41
1986 % 27 59 N/A 55
1987 % 28 59 15 57
1988 % 26 64 18 60
1989 % 28 61 17 63
1990 % 26 64 16 65
1991 % 25 63 15 69
1992 % 24 66 N/A 70
1994 % 26 69 N/A 71
1995 % 25 71 22 73
1996 % 24 74 24 75
1997 % 26 72 27 74
1998 % 26 76 28 77
1999 % 24 74 27 77
2000 % 21 79 32 79
2001 % 25 76 32 81
2002 % 23 80 33 81
Now (Dec.) % 24 80 33 85
* "Overweight" based on tables for those ages 25 and over
** When in front seat of car.
N/A = Not available.
Note: In almost all previous years the survey was conducted in January
or February.
TABLE 2
DEMOGRAPHICS OF THOSE WHO SMOKE CIGARETTES, ARE OBESE
AND DO NOT WEAR SEAT BELTS
Base: All adults
Smoke 20% or More Do Not Wear
Cigarettes Overweight* Seatbelts
Age
18 - 24 % 24 * 18
25 - 29 % 25 15 17
30 - 39 % 30 34 18
40 - 49 % 30 36 16
50 - 64 % 22 39 10
65+ % 13 26 13
Sex
Male % 25 31 19
Female % 23 34 12
Race/Ethnicity
White % 25 34 16
African American % 22 43 13
Hispanic % 21 30 9
Education
High school or less % 34 36 18
Some college % 21 37 16
College graduate % 8 25 9
Postgraduate % 8 22 7
Household Income
Less than $15,000 % 33 36 16
$15,000 - $24,999 % 34 35 24
$25,000 - $34,999 % 27 42 20
$35,000 - $49,999 % 25 40 13
$50,000 - $74,999 % 23 35 18
$75,000 and over % 19 20 10
* "Overweight" based on tables for those ages 25 and over.
Methodology
The Harris Poll(R) was conducted by telephone within the United States
between December 12 and 16, 2002 among a nationwide cross section of 1,023
adults (ages 18+). Figures for age, sex, race, education, number of adults
and number of voice/telephone lines in the household were weighted where
necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population.
In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95
percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or
minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population
had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other
possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more
serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals
to be interviewed (non-response), question wording and question order,
interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g.,
for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result
from these factors.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National
Council on Public Polls.
About Harris Interactive(R)
Harris Interactive (http://www.harrisinteractive.com) is a worldwide
market research and consulting firm best known for The Harris Poll(R), and for
pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate market
research. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, U.S.A., Harris Interactive
combines proprietary methodologies and technology with expertise in
predictive, custom and strategic research. The Company conducts international
research through wholly owned subsidiaries-London-based HI Europe
(http://www.hieurope.com) and Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan-as well as
through the Harris Interactive Global Network of local market-and
opinion-research firms, and various U.S. offices.
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to
participate in future online surveys, visit http://www.harrispollonline.com .
