Older Americans say Medicare is working well, but they report more problems paying for health care than seniors in 10 other advanced economies, according to a survey published in the journal Health Affairs.
Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old woman with terminal brain cancer, has gone public with her plans to take her own life. Most Americans say there are circumstances in which a patient should be allowed to die, but the public is split on laws about doctor-assisted suicide.
Most people (58%) express little or no concern about becoming exposed to Ebola, though that is down from 67% in early October.
People across the globe see the threat of religious and ethnic violence as a growing threat to the world’s future, with concern especially strong in the Middle East.
Prior to the most recent Ebola outbreak in the western parts of the continent, a median of 32% across the seven African nations polled feared infectious disease as the top danger. In the Middle East, the top danger is ethnic and religious hatred.
Most Americans have at least a fair amount of confidence in the government’s ability to prevent a major outbreak of Ebola in the U.S. And relatively few are concerned that they or a family member will be exposed to the virus.
Still another reason to send your children to college: You’ll live longer.
Americans spend less on food than they ever have, and are fatter than they've ever been. Could there be a connection?
The countries with the highest per-capita alcohol consumption don't, as a rule, have the heaviest drinkers. Those tend to be in countries where alcohol is forbidden or strongly discouraged.
People in six African nations say building and improving hospitals and preventing and treating HIV/AIDS should be among the top public health priorities for their governments. Other priorities include improving access to drinking water and prenatal care and fighting hunger and infectious diseases.
