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New Harris Poll Finds Different Religious Groups Have Very Different Attitudes to Some Health Policies and Programs
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Harris Poll finds that
large majorities of the U.S. adult public support each of 12 different
healthcare policies, programs and practices, including some which are highly
controversial. However, people who consider themselves "very religious" or
born-again Christians and, particularly, those born-again Christians who
describe themselves as Evangelicals, have very different attitudes on some of
them.
These are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 2,242 U.S. adults
surveyed online by Harris Interactive(R) between September 6 and 12, 2005.
In total, the survey measured attitudes to the following 12 issues, listed
in order of their overall popularity (i.e. the percentage of all adults who
strongly or somewhat favor them).
1. Medicare (health insurance for the elderly and disabled). Fully 96
percent of adults support Medicare, including 92 percent or more of
all religious categories.
2. Birth control/contraception is supported by 93 percent of all adults,
including 90 percent of Catholics and 88 percent of born-again
Christians, the "very religious" and Evangelicals.
3. Condom use to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases is
supported by 92 percent of adults, including 93 percent of Catholics,
82 percent of born-again Christians, 83 percent of the "very
religious" and 81 percent of Evangelicals.
4. Medicaid (health insurance for people with very low incomes) is
supported by 91 percent of all adults, including 88 percent of all
religious categories.
5. Sex education in high schools is supported by 87 percent of the
public, but only by 76 percent of born-again Christians, 77 percent of
the "very religious" and 72 percent of Evangelicals.
6. Funding of international HIV prevention and treatment programs is
supported by 87 percent of the public, including not less than 82
percent of all religious categories.
7. Universal health insurance is favored by 75 percent of all adults,
including 63 percent or more of all religious groups.
8. Embryonic stem cell research is favored by 70 percent of all adults,
including 70 percent of Catholics. However, it is supported by only
45 percent of born-again Christians, 38 percent of Evangelicals and 51
percent of the "very religious."
9. Funding of international birth control programs is supported by 70
percent of the public, including 66 percent of Catholics, but only 53
percent of born-again Christians and 48 percent of Evangelicals.
10. Withdrawal of life support systems/food for those in a vegetative
state is supported by 68 percent of the public, but by only 47 percent
of born-again Christians and 45 percent of Evangelicals.
11. Abortion rights (which were not defined) are supported by 63 percent
of the public, including 56 percent of Catholics, but by only 30
percent of born-again Christians, 39 percent of the "very religious"
and 28 percent of Evangelicals.
12. Abstinence from sex before marriage is supported by 63 percent of the
public, but by fully 85 percent of born-again Christians, 85 percent
of the "very religious" and 91 percent of Evangelicals.
The Big Picture
With a few exceptions, majorities of all the different religious groups
favor all the listed policies, programs or practices. However, the exceptions
are striking.
One very interesting finding is that the attitudes of Catholics are
generally very similar to those of all adults and, on some issues, very unlike
the official position of the Pope and the Church. For example, overwhelming
majorities of Catholics favor contraception (90%), condom use to prevent HIV
and STD infections (93%), the funding of international birth control programs
(66%), embryonic stem cell research (70%) and the withdrawal of life support
for those in a vegetative state (68%). A majority (56%) also supports abortion
rights.
On the other hand, born-again Christians, adults who think of themselves
as "very religious" and Evangelicals are much less supportive of all of these
programs and policies, with Evangelicals being the least likely to support
them. For example, only 28 percent of Evangelicals support abortion rights
(compared to 63% of all adults) and only 38 percent of Evangelicals support
embryonic stem cell research (compared to 70% of all adults).
TABLE 1
Support And Opposition to 12 Health Programs, Policies or Practices
"Please indicate whether you support or oppose the policy."
Base: All Adults
% Strongly/ Strongly/
Somewhat Somewhat Somewhat Somewhat Strongly Not
Favor Strongly Oppose Oppose Oppose Sure
(NET) Favor Favor (NET)
Medicare
(health
insurance
for the
elderly
and
disabled) % 96 80 16 3 2 1 2
Use of birth
control/
contraception % 93 79 14 4 2 2 3
Condom use to
prevent HIV
and other
STDs % 92 82 10 5 3 2 3
Medicaid
(health
insurance for
people with
low incomes) % 91 63 28 7 5 2 2
Sex education
in high
school % 87 68 19 10 5 4 3
Funding of
international
HIV prevention
and treatment
programs % 87 60 27 10 7 3 3
Universal health
insurance % 75 52 23 7 8 9 9
Embryonic
stem cell
research % 70 48 22 19 8 11 11
Funding of
international
birth control
programs % 70 45 24 21 11 10 9
Withdrawal of
life support
systems/food
for those in
vegetative
state % 68 40 28 17 8 8 15
Abortion
rights % 63 46 17 32 11 21 5
Abstinence
from sex
before
marriage % 63 32 31 27 18 9 10
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
TABLE 2
Those in Favor of 12 Health Programs, Policies or Practices - By Religion
"Please indicate whether you support or oppose the policy."
Percent saying strongly or somewhat favor
Base: All Adults
Total Catholic Episcopalian/ Lutheran Methodist Non-
Anglican Denomi-
national
(n=2,242) (n=403) (n=53) (n=115) (n=147) (n=174)
% % % % % %
Abortion
rights 63 56 83 67 75 50
Use of birth
control/
contraception 93 90 100 95 95 92
Abstinence
from sex
before
marriage 63 66 44 72 65 86
Condom use
to prevent
HIV and
other STDs 92 93 99 96 94 84
Funding of
international
HIV prevention
and
treatment
programs 87 86 86 82 90 84
Funding of
international
birth control
programs 70 66 79 75 75 61
Universal health
insurance 75 76 65 71 66 68
Sex education
in high school 87 89 92 94 91 83
Embryonic stem
cell research 70 70 88 70 77 59
Withdrawal of
life support
systems/food
for those in
vegetative
state 68 68 80 75 77 58
Medicare (health
insurance for
the elderly
and disabled) 96 98 93 96 97 96
Medicaid (health
insurance for
people with
low incomes) 91 92 95 91 91 91
Total Presbyterian Baptist Other Jewish Agnostic/
Christian Atheist
(n=2,242) (n=85) (n=221) (n=215) (n=75) (n=199)
% % % % % %
Abortion rights 63 72 53 49 83 90
Use of birth control/
contraception 93 99 94 89 97 99
Abstinence from sex
before marriage 63 63 75 76 44 31
Condom use to prevent
HIV and other STDs 92 99 91 84 98 99
Funding of
international HIV
prevention and
treatment programs 87 89 87 85 92 95
Funding of
international birth
control programs 70 81 62 62 79 87
Universal health
insurance 75 80 76 68 68 89
Sex education in
high school 87 90 83 81 94 94
Embryonic stem cell
research 70 82 62 58 95 96
Withdrawal of life
support systems/
food for those in
vegetative state 68 80 64 61 75 86
Medicare (health
insurance for the
elderly and
disabled) 96 97 97 96 92 97
Medicaid (health
insurance for
people with
low incomes) 91 88 92 88 90 91
TABLE 3
Those in Favor of 12 HEALTH Programs Policies or Practices - by Religion
"Please indicate whether you support or oppose the policy."
Percent saying strongly or somewhat favor
Base: All Adults
Born- Evangelical
again Very Born-again
Total Christians Religious Christians
(n=2,242) (n=413) (n=448) (n=202)
% % % %
Abortion rights 63 30 39 28
Use of birth control/
contraception 93 88 88 88
Abstinence from sex
before marriage 63 85 85 91
Condom use to prevent
HIV and other STDs 92 82 83 81
Funding of international
HIV prevention and
treatment programs 87 82 86 82
Funding of international
birth control programs 70 53 57 48
Universal health insurance 75 63 71 66
Sex education in
high school 87 76 77 72
Embryonic stem cell
research 70 45 51 38
Withdrawal of life
support systems/food
for those in vegetative
state 68 47 56 45
Medicare (health insurance
for the elderly
and disabled) 96 96 96 98
Medicaid (health insurance
for people with
low incomes) 91 89 92 90
Methodology
The Harris Poll(R) was conducted online within the United States between
September 6 and 12, 2005 among a nationwide cross section of 2,242 adults
(aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and
household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with
their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was
also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.
In theory, with probability samples of this size, one can say with
95 percent certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or
minus 2 percentage points of what they would be if the entire U.S. adult
population had been polled with complete accuracy. Sampling error for the
various sub-samples shown in the above tables is higher and varies.
Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls
or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of
sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (nonresponse),
question wording and question order, and weighting. It is impossible to
quantify the errors that may result from these factors. This online sample is
not a probability sample.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National
Council on Public Polls.
J25287
Q800
About Harris Interactive(R)
Harris Interactive Inc. (www.harrisinteractive.com) is the 13th largest
and fastest-growing market research firm in the world, perhaps best known for
The Harris Poll(R) and for pioneering and engineering Internet-based research
methods. The Rochester, New York-based global research company blends premier
strategic consulting with innovative and efficient methods of investigation,
analysis and application, conducting proprietary and public research globally
to help clients achieve clear, material and enduring results.
Blending science and art, Harris Interactive combines its intellectual
capital and one of the world's largest online panels of respondents, with
premier Internet survey technology and sophisticated research methods to
market leadership through its US, Europe (www.harrisinteractive.com/europe)
and Asia offices, its wholly owned subsidiary, Novatris in Paris
(www.novatris.com), and through an independent global network of affiliate
market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to
participate in future online surveys, go to www.harrispollonline.com.
Contacts:
Nancy Wong
Harris Interactive
585-214-7316
Kelly Gullo
Harris Interactive
585-214-7172
Harris Interactive Inc. 10/05
The Harris Poll(R) #78, October 20, 2005
By Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll, Harris Interactive
SOURCE Harris Interactive Inc.
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