Almost half of Kiwis (47%) are behind on their general health check, yet the majority believe their current health is in good shape. These are just some of the conclusions of a new report published by Nib.
Its survey of 1,000 people conducted in December 2023 found that almost one in five Kiwis don’t believe, or are unsure, whether an annual general health screening is necessary. Some respondents were not up to date or had never received important health screenings such as dental checks (63%) and eye checks (55%).
When it came to more serious health screenings, 84% of Kiwis surveyed are not up to date or have never received skin checks – despite New Zealand having one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world.
The report’s authors say that even with national screening programs in place, eligible Kiwis are still behind on important health screenings such as prostate cancer checks (60%), cervical smears (44%), bowel cancer screenings (37%), and breast cancer screenings (28%).
Some reported that this was a low priority for them, with one third saying they aren’t committed to staying up to date with their health screening checks. However, health checks are a priority for 71% of Māori compared to only 66% of Pakeha.
Of the parents surveyed, two in five (43%) aren’t clear about which health checks are appropriate for their children and a quarter don’t think it’s necessary for children to have an annual health screening check.
Rob Hennin, CEO Nib, says, “Health screenings are the key to catching potential illnesses early, which means you can get treatment, begin recovery, and return to normal life faster.”
Bowel cancer screenings are a good example of this, where early treatment means a 90% chance of surviving the cancer.
Among the main barriers stopping people from getting regular health screenings include uncertainty about which checks they need (38%), cost (36%), not experiencing any health issues of concern (30%), and being anxious about what it could reveal (19%).
Nib will be offering free general health checks to the Kiwi public with its Check-Up clinic stationed at Blues home games at Eden Park and around Auckland city.