Research Australia Public Opinion Research 2007: Final Report

Research Australia’s 2007 public opinion research, conducted by Crosby|Textor, combined two focus groups held in Melbourne in July 2007 with an online survey of an effective national sample of n=630 voters aged 18 and older, stratified by gender, age and postcode and fielded between 21 and 30 August 2007. Improving hospitals and the health care system remained the top-rated federal government priority (94%), and 89% agreed medical and health research would play an important role in Australia’s future. Eighty per cent approved of the Federal Government’s NHMRC funding and 71% still wanted more Commonwealth funding for health and medical research, with respondents on average assigning about two-thirds of funding responsibility to governments. Eighty-eight per cent supported more research to prevent and cure disease as a way to improve health outcomes, and cancer was the leading priority for increased research funding: 93% agreed with taxpayer funding of new cancer treatments and 78% with using stem cells to treat diseases. Ninety-four per cent were confident in prescription medicines, while only a little more than half were confident in alternative medicines and therapies. Eighty per cent saw diet and exercise as the answer to obesity, and the Internet (91%) and local GPs (87%) were rated the most useful sources of information on health and medical research. The report also covers global warming and health, recycled and desalinated water, and personal eating and exercise habits.