These new money and health discoveries might surprise you

Cigna Healthcare ( (BUT) ) recently published a health study called the 2024 Vitality in America Report. The survey is designed to gather information about health, finances and well-being across the country.

The Vitality in America 2024 report is based on survey data from a total of 7,500 US adults in collaboration with research partners YouGov and Morning Consult.

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The healthcare conglomerate wanted to find out how people feel about a variety of factors that affect well-being, such as their finances and physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual health.

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In the context of the Vitality in America report, vitality is defined as general health and well-being and “human performance,” according to the document.

Although people in the US continue to report stress levels, poor mental health and loneliness, the report was not all doom and gloom.

Compared to the same report in 2022, fewer people reported feeling financially insecure and people reported feeling more energetic.

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Third Annual report shows a small but significant change of 2% in people with average to high vitality – the first sign of improvement since 2022. This year, 1 in 5 people report high vitality, largely due to an increase among people who feeling energized (up 3% from 2022) and feeling alive and vibrant (up 4% from 2022).

Men had higher levels of vitality than women. Baby boomers (those over 60) had the highest level of vitality, while Gen X (45-59) had the lowest, with Millenials (25-44) and Gen Z (18-24 ) somewhere in the middle.

People are seen engaging in physical exercise. A report examining people’s health and vitality has been published.

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Finances are the main cause of stress

Stress is an indicator of an individual’s ability to engage in a healthy lifestyle and the ability to feel capable, confident and connected to others. Finances continue to be the number one source of stress for the general population, regardless of their vitality level, with 39% reporting frequent stress over finances in the past month.

Similar to healthy behaviors, stress levels vary significantly between low vitality and high vitality individuals. Still, there’s reason for optimism: In 2024, people with low vitality reported feeling slightly less stressed by five common daily stressors than in 2023.

“Our research on vitality shows that there is a strong link between being gainfully employed and having greater vitality because income allows you to access resources to help you be healthier,” said Stuart Lustig, MD, chief medical officer national for behavioral health strategy and product design at Cigna Healthcare.

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Respondents were asked to answer the following statement: “I have the freedoms and opportunities to support myself financially.” About 87 percent of people said they had “high vitality” in this area, while only three percent reported low vitality in this area.

“About 80 percent of health outcomes happen outside the doctor’s office, and those who lack financial resources for things like healthy food, transportation, and stable housing—what we call the social determinants of health—are less likely to thrive and be well “, he added. Dr. Lustig.

Interestingly, the report also found that employment is another key to vitality. People who are engaged view their health more positively and engage in healthier behaviors, such as getting more hours of quality sleep, which is a critical element of a person’s overall health.

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