LANE COUNTY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

H E A L T H
ATTITUDES
SURVEY
2014

P R E P A R E D J U LY 2 0 1 5
BY LANE COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH PREVENTION PROGRAM
Commissioned by Lane County Public Health Prevention Program. Survey conducted by Steve Johnson & Associates. Eugene, Oregon.

INTRODUCTION

KEY SURVEY TOPICS:

ane Countys Health & Human Services has - Alcohol

commissioned a survey of adult residents seven - Tobacco
- Marijuana
times over the last 16 years. The surveys purpose
is to look at attitudes related to a variety of health issues and
risk behaviors with health implications. Because of changing
health concerns and new issues, such as smokeless tobacco,
Lane County decided to explore the health issues thought to
be most important today. A survey of over 400 Lane County
residents was conducted in the Summer of 2014, and key
results from the survey are found here.

- Gambling
- Mental Health
- Equity

KEY FINDINGS
Most residents of Lane County do not think race, sexual orientation, or residence in a rural area
creates disparities in health issues.
Respondents favor limiting tobacco products use through restrictions on e-cigarettes,
increased taxes, and licensing requirement for tobacco sales.
People are much more concerned about risks from misuse of prescription drugs than from
alcohol, marijuana or second hand smoke.
More people think it is wrong for high school youth ages 14-17 to drink alcohol than to smoke
marijuana.
Age, income, and amount of education all have strong effects on attitudes about health issues,
health risks, and public health policies.

PERCEPTION & NORMS AROUND RISK

PERCEPTION OF HARM HAS A DIRECT CONNECTION TO RISKY BEHAVIOR,

ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS.

erception and norms around behaviors such

as smoking, underage drinking, drug use or
gambling, has a direct connection to a person
engaging in a negative health behavior,
particularly among youth and young adults. A majority of
Lane County survey respondents either strongly agreed
or agreed with the statement that tobacco companies
actively advertise and promote tobacco products to
youth.

Perceptions Around Adult Use

In addition to advertising, perceptions and norms are

highly influenced by the viewpoints of parents, peers
and other adults. Research strongly suggests, that
perceived risk is considered an upstream predictor of
substance use; the less risky or harmful an individual
perceives a behavior being, the more likely he or she
will engage in that activity. According to responses in
the survey, perception of risk varies depending on the
substance or behavior, the characteristics of the survey
respondent and youth versus adult use.
Below: Most Lane County residents are willing to pay
an extra 25 cents for each serving of wine or beer if the
money went to support local alcohol abuse prevention
and treatment services.

No
29%

Yes
65%

64%

A majority of survey respondents

either strongly agreed or agreed
with the statement that tobacco companies
actively advertise & promote tobacco
products to youth.

Most respondents feel exposure to tobacco smoke,

engaging in high-risk alcohol use and using prescription
drugs without a doctors orders is harmful to an
individuals health and poses a high degree of risk. In
contrast, respondents were nearly split on perceived risk
from adult recreational marijuana use with only a slight
majority feeling there was a high to moderate risk.

Perceptions Around Youth/Young Adult Use

Survey respondents were also more likely to perceive risk

when asked about youth behavior. For example, three
out of four respondents perceived gambling as a great or
moderate risk to high school aged youth. Additionally,
most adults in Lane County believe it is wrong or very
wrong for high school aged youth to use substances
such as alcohol or marijuana in the community as well
as at home. Responses of perceptions towards young
adults, however, contrasted perceptions towards youth.
For older youth ages 18-20, respondents were much
less likely to think it was wrong for them to engage in
high-risk behaviors, such as drinking alcohol. Perceived
harm of young adult drinking has been significantly
decreasing in our community over the past 10 years.
Below: Most Lane County residents think it is wrong
or very wrong for youth under 18 to drink alcohol,
or drink it at home, but respondents are less likely to
believe alcohol use is harmful once youth reach 18.

Don't
Know/
Other
6%

Respondents who were willing to pay extra taxes for

prevention were more likely to perceive a higher risk
across substances. Perceived risk was not as great for
individuals with a lower income demographic and for
those who had lower educational attainment.

Attitudes about underage drinking

Youth 14-17
Very wrong

Youth 18-20
Wrong

Youth at home

Slightly wrong Not wrong at all

Lastly, an interesting finding around adult perceptions of

youth behavior is assumptions made by survey respondents
about what their peers or, other adults in Lane County
think is acceptable behavior among youth. For many addictive
behaviors including alcohol and marijuana use, most adults
in Lane County disapprove of youth use. However, when
asked what they think other adults felt about the same topic,
respondents thought far fewer adults felt the same way.
This contrast between what the community actually thinks
and perception about what others think is important when
considering how norms and perceptions affect behavior.

Research shows: The LESS risky or harmful a person

thinks a behavior is, the MORE likely he or she is to
engage in that activity.

Below: Lane County residents are tending to view

marijuana as less harmful, from a high of moderate to
great risk of 59% in 2006 to 47% in this survey.

Perceived Risk of Harm Due to

Perceived risk Marijuana

of harm due toUse
marijuana use
100

No Risk to Slight Risk

80

Moderate to Great Risk

60
40
20
0
2005
2005

2006
2006

2009
2009

2014
2014

HEALTH EQUITY
HEALTH EQUITY IS ACHIEVING THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF HEALTH FOR ALL PEOPLE. HEALTH EQUITY
FOCUSES ON ADDRESSING AVOIDABLE INEQUALITIES BY EQUALIZING THE CONDITIONS FOR HEALTH
FOR ALL GROUPS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SOCIOECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE
OR HISTORICAL INJUSTICES. - FROM HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020
any Lane County residents disagree that some people experience poor
health because of their race, sexual orientation or due to living in a rural "Social determinants of health"
area. However, many people did report differences in terms of their access are social and economic factors
to the social determinants of health depending on where they lived, their that influence people's health.
age and their income level. For example, less than one in ten residents in Eugene/
Springfield rated their access to public transportation as poor, but nearly 1 in 2
people rated their access as poor in western Lane County. Low-income residents are also less likely to report their access
to fresh fruits and vegetables as good or excellent when compared with those with higher incomes. Finally, while 2 out
of 3 residents reported it was very easy to see a health care provider when they needed to, more residents with high income
reported it as easy compared to residents with lower incomes.

This tells us that the people in Lane County do experience inequalities based on income and geographic location but, in
general, dont recognize how those disparities are impacting their experience of health.
Lane County residents who said access
to public transportation is poor

Metro

Western Lane

Eastern Lane

Above: Western & Eastern Lane County residents find it harder

to access public transportation than people in metro areas.
Access to transportation is an important part of public health.

Lane County residents who said it is difficult to get

a healthcare appointment in a timely manner.

Income under $25,000 Income over $50,000

All Lane County

Above: People with less income tend to say its harder to get
a timely healthcare appointment.

STIGMA REDUCTION. MOST PEOPLE IN LANE COUNTY KNOW SOMEONE WITH,

OR HAVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH, MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL ISSUES.

t is common for people in Lane County to know

someone who has had thoughts of suicide or
who has a gambling problem. For many people
experiencing mental health or emotional
issues, it is fairly common to feel mistreated, as nearly 2 out
of every 5 people report that others fail to express caring or
sympathetic attitudes towards people with mental illness.

Likewise, it is also reasonably common for persons known

to have thoughts of suicide to seek help from a hospital
or call center. In contrast only about 1 in 6 people with
a gambling condition are reported to have sought help.
While no one reason emerged as to why people choose not
to seek help, the most commonly reported reason cited
was a feeling that the person could handle it on their own.

Even so, there is strong belief that treatment can be effective Below: Only one in 6 people with a gambling problem
and it is very common for people with mental health or are reported to have sought help.
emotional issues to reach out for help or support through
a helpline, healthcare provider, friend or family member.

Mental Health Treatment

Can treatment help people

live normal lives?
Strongly agree

Agree

Are people caring and

sympathetic?
Disagree

Strongly disagree

Left: Most Lane County residents agree that treatment

for mental health issues helps people lead normal lives,
and that people are caring and sympathetic when it
comes to mental health treatment.
However, nearly 2 in 5 Lane County residents report that
people fail to be caring or sympathetic to people with
mental illness.

CONCLUSIONS b

he questions in this survey concern many risk factors such as harm from second-hand
smoke, alcohol consumption, drug use, the effects from gambling, and thoughts of
suicide. Clearly, the results from this study show that concern regarding risky behavior
is growing, as is the desire to see changes in the community. Lane County needs to continue
examining these issues in order to effect real change and to see improvements in perceptions
and behavior over time.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

A full copy of the survey report iss online at
www.preventionlane.org/attitudes-survey
es-survey
151 W. 7th Ave., Room 410 | Eugene, OR 97401
@preventionlane