A study of 2,000 British adults found that many were unable to locate major organs, including the heart, brain and lungs, and knew little about their health. About informs Research Findings.
In a survey of 2,000 Britons, only two in three (63%) believe they can pinpoint exactly where the heart and brain are. Only 22% could detect the exact location of the gallbladder. Half of those surveyed could not report where the kidneys were. The appendix caused the most difficulty: 38% were able to find it.
Participants did equally well on questions about their health. Only 37% were confident that they could name their blood group correctly. Only 24% know their BMI (body mass index) and many do not understand how it is calculated. Less than 23% of people know what their resting heart rate should be. One participant admitted that he “knew nothing about the human body.”
Also, people, especially men, have been less likely to contact their doctors since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. For 37% of respondents, this is due to a reluctance to overload the health system, and for 31% – confidence that the health problem is not serious.
Only 50% of men and 63% of women call their doctor when they see signs of cancer. Women were also more likely to see a doctor for nearly all health issues, including bone fractures (39% to 32%), lung problems (51% to 44%), and mental health issues (34% to 24%).