BERLIN & NASHVILLE – Gallup, the global polling organization, and Healthways (NASDAQ: HWAY), a worldwide leader in well-being improvement, will today jointly launch the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (WBI) for Germany at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. The data collected from more than 5,000 interviews since March 2011 provides the first deep, comprehensive, real-time view of the well-being of German residents.
First introduced in the United States in 2008 and in the United Kingdom earlier this year, the WBI takes into account six areas of well-being, covered by a series of more than 50 questions, which together measure overall well-being. Key findings from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index include:
- Fewer Germans are thriving than are Americans and Britons
- Households with children have a markedly higher well-being
- Adults born in another country report lower well-being
- Germans rate their work environment better than do Americans and Britons
“While the people of Germany are in many ways faring significantly better than Britons or Americans, the data also shows that there are areas for improvement – particularly with regard to how Germans perceive the future,” said Ben Leedle, Jr., president and CEO of Healthways. “By addressing emotional and social factors that will improve well-being and drive economic and social progress, something Healthways has helped leaders do for many years through workplace programs, Germans will see improved productivity in the workplace, which will have direct effects on the bottom line of organizations and ultimately the economy as a whole.”
The WBI is an unprecedented effort to assess and measure the overall health of the nation, providing decision-makers in both government and business deep and valuable insight into their constituencies. The data, which can be broken down by demographics, such as gender, race, age, income, education, location and more, shows that Germans partake in more healthy behaviors and have better access to basic resources than their American or British peers, yet are decidedly pessimistic in how they evaluate their current lives and the future.
“The joining of Gallup’s global research experience and Healthways’ expertise in managing the health of the workforce makes the Well-Being Index a highly comprehensive visionary tool for policymakers, business leaders and others looking for a way to track Germany’s prosperity beyond the GDP,” said Jim Clifton, CEO of Gallup. “Policy makers in Germany are currently looking for new ways to measure the health of the nation, and the well-being of residents is a key indicator of economic prosperity. The Well-Being Index is that measurement tool.”
Healthways is the world’s largest pure-play well-being improvement company dedicated solely to helping communities, organizations and individuals achieve better health outcomes. Its scientifically validated solutions improve the health of individuals, the productivity of employees and the cost of healthcare.
Discussions on this topic from the event “The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index – A Comprehensive Approach to Measuring Well-Being in Germany” held at the Hertie School of Governance today can be found at: http://www.well-beingindex.com/deutschland. Speakers from Gallup and Healthways will be featured, as well as academic expert Dr. Klaus Hurrelman of the Hertie School, professor of health and education policies and an expert in the well-being of children and adolescents, and Heino von Meyer, head of OECD’s Berlin Centre, which recently launched the Better Life Initiative.
About Gallup
Gallup has studied human nature and behavior for more than 70 years. Gallup’s reputation for delivering relevant, timely and visionary research on what people around the world think and feel is the cornerstone of the organization. Gallup employs many of the world’s leading scientists in management, economics, psychology and sociology, and our consultants assist leaders in identifying and monitoring behavioral economic indicators worldwide. Gallup consultants help organizations, cities, and countries solve the world’s foremost problems with advanced research and analysis. For more information, please visit http://www.gallup.com.
About Healthways
Healthways is the leading provider of specialized, comprehensive solutions to help millions of people maintain or improve their health and well-being and, as a result, reduce overall costs. Healthways’ Well-Being Improvement Solution is designed to keep healthy people healthy, reduce health-related risks and optimize care for those with chronic illness. Our proven, evidence-based approach provides highly specific and personalized interventions for each individual in a population, irrespective of age or health status, and is delivered to consumers by phone, mail, internet and face-to-face interactions, both domestically and internationally. Across the U.S., Healthways also provides a fully accredited complementary and alternative Health Provider Network and a national Fitness Center Network, offering convenient access to individuals who seek health services outside of, and in conjunction with, the traditional health care system. For more information, please visit http://www.healthways.com.
About the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index in Germany
In Germany, the WBI’s frequency and breadth will add timely, comprehensive and globally comparable data to the national debate on well-being. The accumulated data add to the world’s largest well-being reference data base providing comprehensive insights for examining overall well-being, what drives well-being and what policy decisions can have the most profound effect on improving well-being. The WBI in Germany will provide consistent intelligence, based on ongoing measurement of German residents’ life evaluation, emotional and physical health, healthy behaviors, work environments and access to basic necessities. Leaders interested in advancing well-being in Germany can use these data to continuously monitor and analyze metrics known to correlate with real-world economic outcomes and translate findings into effective policies and action plans.
Methodology
Gallup interviews adults throughout Germany by telephone for the WBI. German survey respondents are asked a series of questions associated with well-being across a range of income and health status conditions. The results are reported in monthly averages. For monthly data, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points.
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls. Interviews are conducted by live (not automated) interviewers through dual-frame random-digit-dial sampling (which includes landlines as well as mobile phone sampling to reach those in mobile-only and mobile-mostly households). Respondents are selected randomly.