Harvard // NPR // Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Polls

August 2022

LATEST POLL with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation / Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (and HORP): “Personal Experiences of U.S. Racial/Ethnic Minorities in Today’s Difficult Times”

Report Here: 

HSPH Press Release Here:

Media Coverage

NPR: “Poll: Black, Native American and Latino families face serious problems from inflation”

NPR: “A ‘staggering’ number of people couldn’t get care during the pandemic, poll finds”

NPR: “Here’s one reason why America’s racial wealth gap persists across generations”

NPR: “‘We have nowhere to go’: Many face eviction during a crisis in affordable housing”

NPR: “Poll: As costs rise, Black and Hispanic renters struggle the most”

NPR: “Poll: 69% of Native Americans say inflation is severely affecting their lives”

WBUR/NPR: “How inflation is impacting Native Americans”

PBS News Hour: “America’s most vulnerable bear the brunt of high inflation”

Bloomberg: “Food Inflation Hits Native American Households Most, Poll Finds”

Axios: “Inflation hikes causing delayed care for minorities: poll”

The Hill: “Most Black, Latino households report ‘serious financial problems’ from inflation: poll”

Forbes: “New Survey Finds Inflation, Housing Costs And Eviction Threats Hitting Minorities Hardest”

The Root: “Inflation Hitting Black, Latino, and Native American Families the Hardest, Poll Shows” 

BET: “Inflation Pushing Black, Latino and Native American Consumers into Financial Crisis”

American University Radio: “Here’s one reason why America’s racial wealth gap persists across generations”

Tasting Table: “New Report Reveals Who Is Suffering The Most From Food Inflation”

Becker’s Hospital Review: “Native American, Black families most likely to delay medical care due to inflation”

TV:

NBC News Now:

Fox 40 Sacramento

June 2022

LATEST POLL with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation / Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (and HORP): “The Impact of Extreme Weather on Views About Climate Policy in the United States”

Report Here: 

Media Coverage

All Things Considered, 6/21/22  “You’ve likely been affected by climate change. Your long-term finances might be, too”

Morning Edition, 6/21/22 “Americans connect extreme heat and climate change to their health, a survey finds”

NPR WBUR, 6/22/22 “Americans connect extreme heat and climate change to their health, a survey finds”

The Hill: “Most Americans have concerns about being displaced by extreme weather, poll says”

ABC News: “78% of adults in US report being affected by severe weather caused by climate change: Report”

October 2021

LATEST POLLS with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation / Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (and HORP): “Household Experiences in America During the Delta Variant Outbreak”

National Report:Household Experiences in America During the Delta Variant Outbreak

Race/Ethnicity Report: “Household Experiences in American During the Delta Variant Outbreak, By Race/Ethnicity

Households with Children Report:Experiences of U.S. Households with Children During the Delta Variant Outbreak

Media Coverage

10/12 NPR poll: The delta surge pushed Americans further behind in all walks of life

10/13 NPR: 1 in 4 Asian Americans recently feared their household being targeted, poll finds

10/14 NPR Morning Edition: With hospitals crowded from COVID, 1 in 5 American families delays health care

10/18 NPR Morning Edition: Patients say telehealth is OK, but most prefer to see their doctor in person

10/19 NPR Morning Edition: 1 in 3 working families is struggling to find the child care they desperately need

10/19 NPR: Black and Latino families are bearing the weight of the pandemic’s economic toll

10/20 NPR: How the housing crisis collides with public health

10/21 NPR: Why helping people pay rent can fight the pandemic

10/22 NPR Morning Edition: With racial attacks on the rise, Asian Americans fear for their safety

Additional Media Coverage:

Wall Street Journal: Close to 40% of U.S. Households Say They Face Financial Difficulties as Covid-19 Pandemic Continues

Bloomberg: Almost 20% of U.S. Households Lost Entire Savings During Covid

New York Post: Nearly 40% of Americans seeing ‘serious financial problems’ in past few months

CommonDreams: Health Expert Urges Congress to ‘Transform People’s Lives’ as Millions Face Persistent Financial Hardship

NJ Spotlight News: Survey underlines COVID-19 hardships, financial challenges

Panay News: Income loss, children’s health

 Becker’s Hospital Review: Poll finds many Americans’ health, finances still far from baseline due to pandemic

The Guardian: Serious financial problems afflict 40% of US households in recent months

Las Vegas Sun: Recovery from pandemic must not leave behind American middle class

Newsmax: NPR Poll: Delta Surge Pushes Americans Further Behind Financially

Washington Times: Americans have fallen ‘way behind’ in quality of life: NPR poll

WBUR: Students slip behind in standardized test scores and other measures of progress

The Hill: Equity must be a guidepost for Congress on reconciliation

Los Angeles Daily News:

WUWM Milwaukee Radio: News brief: NPR Poll on delta surge, Jon Gruden’s emails, espionage case

Marketwatch: Nearly 40% of Americans seeing ‘serious financial problems’ in past few months

Fatherly: 34% of Families With Young Kids Are in Childcare Hell Right Now

NPR Illinois 91.9: Why people in Houston struggle to pay bills more than people in other major cities

Yahoo Finance: Only a couple of child tax credit payments to go. Is this really the end?

Milwaukee Independent: Tent Cities: Zillow Study Shows how Wall Street is Causing Homelessness while Profiting from the Harm

Radio segments from NPR featured on: Capital Public Radio, New Orleans Public Radio, Georgia Public Broadcasting, Houston Public Media

 

May 2021

LATEST POLL with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation / Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (and HORP): “The Public’s Perspective on the United States Public Health System”

Media Coverage 5/13/21

NPR: “Poll Finds Public Health has a Trust Problem”

The Hill (Morning Report): Americans trust nurses, healthcare workers and doctors they know more than the CDC, state and local health departments, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration,  according to a survey released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The findings underscore some of the pandemic challenges faced by federal and state governments.

USA Today: “Many Americans don’t trust their public health system during COVID-19 pandemic, survey shows”

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health News:  “Public supports substantial increase in spending on U.S. public health, but has concerns about how the system functions now

October 2020

POLL with NPR/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation / Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (and HORP): “The Impact of Coronavirus on Households in Rural America”

NPR Coverage: “Getting Health Care was Already Tough in Rural Areas. The Pandemic Has Made it Worse”

The Economist: “Measuring Poverty in the Midst of America’s Covid-19 Epidemic” 

September 2020

LATEST POLL with NPR/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation / Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (and HORP): “The Impact of Coronavirus on Households with Children”

LATEST POLL with NPR/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation / Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (and HORP): “The Impact of Coronavirus on Households Across America”

Media Coverage 9/23/2020

The New York Times: “Covid-19 Live Updates: Pandemic Hits Black and Latino Families Harder Financially, Poll Finds”

NPR Poll: Black, Latino Households Struggle To Pay Rent, Mortgages

ABC News: “Living on the edge: More than 4 in 10 households face serious financial problems during pandemic: POLL”

Nashville Public Radio: “NPR Poll: Households Hit Directly By COVID-19 Are Hurting Financially Too”

POLITICO:POLITICO-Harvard poll: Pandemic fallout, racial reckoning are deeply personal to 2020 voters”

HUFFPOST: “Getting COVID-19 Is Putting Americans On The Brink Of Economic Crisis”

Harvard Crimson: “Latino Households Disproportionately Hit By COVID-19, Harvard Poll Finds”

NPR ATLANTA (WABE): ‘Desperation And Fear’ For Millions With Congress Deadlocked Over Pandemic Assistance

LATEST POLL with NPR/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation / Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (and HORP): “The Impact of Coronavirus on Households, by Race/Ethnicity”

Media Coverage: 9/16/2020

NPR COVERAGE, Heard on Morning Edition: “Poll: Pandemic Worsens Minorities’ Income And Savings”

NBC: “Covid-19’s economic impact on Latino families is ‘much worse’ than expected, poll finds”

FORBES: “COVID And Race: Households Of Color Suffer Most From Pandemic’s Financial Consequences Despite Trillions In Aid”

New York Times: “A Survey Finds the Economic Toll on People of Color ‘much worse’ than Expected”

“The findings are not what we expected,” said Robert Blendon, a professor at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University, which conducted the survey in New York, Houston, Los Angeles and Chicago in conjunction with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and National Public Radio. “They’re actually much worse.”

Despite billions of dollars in government assistance as well as help from private and nonprofit charities, “we have not put a cushion to get through this natural disaster in health for these minority communities,” Dr. Blendon said.

ABC NEWS: “Latino, Black, Native American households suffer disproportionate financial strain amid pandemic: POLL”

The Hill: “Communities of color hit hardest financially by COVID-19: study”

WTOP D.C. Radio: “Poll finds racial disparity in financial problems during pandemic”

LATEST POLL with NPR/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation / Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (and HORP):The Impact of Coronavirus on Households in Major U.S. Cities”

Poll: Half of households in the four largest U.S. cities—New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston—report facing serious financial problems during the coronavirus outbreak

Media Coverage: 9/9/2020

Heard on Morning Edition: Yuki Noguchi and Dr. Robert J. Blendon “Economic Pain From Pandemic Is Much Worse Than Expected, NPR Poll Finds”

“Pandemic Financially Imperils Nearly Half Of American Households, Poll Finds”

NPR/WBUR Boston:“About 20% Of Americans Couldn’t Get Needed Medical Care Due To Pandemic, Poll Shows”

NPR: “Economic Impact Of Coronavirus Shutdown On NYC”

HOUSTON COVERAGE:

Houston Public Radio: “NPR-Harvard Poll: Houstonians Face Delayed Care, Financial Hardship Amid COVID-19”

Houston Public Radio on-air segment with Dr. Robert J. Blendon: TBD

Houston KRIV FOX26 TV Segment interview with Dr. Robert J. Blendon: “Half of Households in largest U.S. cities face serious financial problems”

HOUSTON KRIV FOX26 TV Segment Follow-up on Poll: NPR-Harvard Poll: “Houstonians face delayed care, financial hardships amid COVID-19”

CHICAGO COVERAGE:

Chicago Tribune: “Half of Chicago households report serious financial problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, NPR-Harvard poll finds.”

Chicago WJOL: “Poll: Half Of Chicago Households Report Having Serious Financial Woes During Pandemic”

From our Funder: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Release // Poll: “Half of Households in the Four Largest U.S. Cities Report Serious Financial Problems Including Depleted Savings, and Trouble Paying Bills or Affording Medical Care”

For more follow the Harvard Opinion Research Program and the latest on this poll on Twitter. 

January 2020

Latest Poll: Life Experiences and Income Inequality in the United States

Check out the HSPH Forum on “Life Experiences and Income Inequality in the U.S.: Implications for Health”

January 27th, 2020. NPR Shots Health News, Heard on Morning Edition “When Insurance Won’t Cover Drugs, Americans Make ‘Tough Choices’ About Their Health”

January 9, 2020. NPR Politics  “Richest Republicans View Health Care Far Differently Than Poorest, NPR Poll Finds”

January 9, 2020. NPR Shots Health News Is There Hope For The American Dream? What Americans Think About Income Inequality

Presented jointly with NPR and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. January 2020

While income inequality increases, a survey done by NPR, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds that the life experiences of Americans differ drastically across income groups.

Life Experiences and Income Inequality in the United States explores the hardships of affording basic needs, but also Americans’ outlook on future economic opportunity. While many middle- and lower-income individuals struggle with financial setbacks, affording health care, and are discontent with their financial situation, they believe that current financial status does not determine future economic success.

RWJF’s Key Findings:

  • Ninety-three percent of the top 1 percent highest-income adults, 89 percent of middle-income adults, and 87 percent of lower-income adults believe that hard work is the most important factor to achieve economic success in America.
  • Only 8 percent of adults with the top 1 percent highest incomes say their families have experienced serious problems paying for medical bills, dental bills, or prescription drugs in the past few years; nearly half of middle-income adults and a majority of lower-income adults say this.
  • Twenty-seven percent of the top 1 percent believe it should be a very important priority for government to reduce income differences between people with high incomes and those with lower income, compared to the forty-two percent of lower-income adults who share this view.
  • Eighty percent of the top 1 percent highest income adults believe that their children or grandchildren will achieve the American Dream compared to 78 percent of middle-income adults and 70 percent of lower-income adults.

Media coverage on this poll release:

NPR: Richest Republicans View Health Care Far Differently Than Poorest, NPR Poll Finds

NPR: Public Health: Is There Hope For The American Dream? What Americans Think About Income Inequality

Washington Post: The 1% are much more satisfied with their lives than everyone else, survey finds

From October 19, 2021, Scientific American: Many Doctors are Switching to Concierge Medicine, Exacerbating Physician Shortages                        PDF HERE

2018

The “Life in Rural America” polling series is based on a survey conducted for National Public Radio, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The Life in Rural America – Part I survey was conducted June 6 – August 4, 2018, among a nationally representative, probability based telephone (cell and landline) sample of 1,300 adults ages 18 or older living in the rural United States. The purpose of this survey was to understand the current views and experiences of rural Americans on economic and health issues

The Life in Rural America—Part II survey covers rural Americans’ personal experiences with health, social, civic, and economic issues in their local communities. It was conducted January 31 – March 2, 2019, among a nationally representative, probability-based telephone (cell and landline) sample of 1,405 adults ages 18 or older living in the rural United States.

Report and Topline Life in Rural America – Part I

Report and Topline Life in Rural America – Part II

NPR Series Coverage

Forum Webcast – “Health and Economic Concerns of Rural Americans”

Discrimination in America