More millennials (23 percent) have experienced symptoms related to potential heart problems, compared to those aged 50 and above (17 percent), according to the 2019 Cigna 360 Well-Being Survey – Well and Beyond, which surveyed over 13,000 people worldwide, including 500 from the UAE.
Those aged between 18 and 34 years old experienced pain and discomfort in the chest, shortness of breath, light-headedness or dizziness, pain or discomfort in the arms or shoulders or jaw, neck or back pain.
The reason is due to higher exposure to stress, the report showed, in spite of the fact that millennials “are BMI-aware and have a good perception of their physical wellness,” it said.
Moreover, data showed those aged 50 years old and above are more likely than millennials to seek professional help in dealing with stress and heart problems.
“The high stress levels in millennials is due to their increasing exposure to stress and perhaps their complacency when it comes to seeking help could be detrimental,” the report showed.
However, it said millennials are more positive about growing old, “possibly due to a lack of understanding of the implications and requirements involved.”
In addition, the report showed more women around the world experience stress at work than men.
Data showed 88 percent of women experience stress at work compared to 85 percent of men, with 13 percent of women claiming the stress is unmanageable stress, compared to 11 percent of men.
Women particularly scored low on physical well-being, citing lack of sleep and exercise.
The study revealed that the top stress triggers for both men and women were personal finance (17 percent), workload (16 percent) and personal health concerns (14 percent).
Personal finances were the focal stress point for single women, while anxiety over workload was the main concern for working mothers, with 52 per cent of senior women executives, who are mothers, fearing judgement for prioritising family or spending time away from work.
Around 61 percent of working women said they feel that workplace wellness programmes need to better address the specific needs of each gender.
“The lack of customised wellness programmes in the workplace is a major concern, with women in particular requesting more tailored and customised programmes,” the report said.
In general, 87 percent of respondents said they feel stressed at work, while 46 percent said they received support from their employers, although only 28 percent said the support was adequate.
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