People are privy to more health information than ever before, but research has revealed a worrying knowledge gap in the UK workforce that could be undermining employee health and decision-making.
Provider Bluecrest measured the health intelligence of 2,000 UK adults ahead of the launch of its Health iQ tool. The results show that average knowledge of common health indicators, such as BMI guidelines, calorific needs, and common cancer risks, was not as high as people might hope.
People want to know about their health as data shows that the average UK adult will consult ‘Dr Google’ more than 1,200 times over their lifetime. However, a third of people consulting Google, or AI, about their symptoms admit they get the diagnosis wrong.
Bluecrest tested people on their knowledge of a number of common health risks and gave them a score of between 0 and 110. The scores are grouped into three main categories: 85 to 110 is ‘genius level’; 50 to 84 indicates health knowledge is ‘developing’ and that this person is health conscious, but there is room for improvement; and 0 to 49 is low, meaning more health knowledge is required.
The national average score was 57.4 out of 110, meaning there is an opportunity for employers to boost basic health literacy at work and encourage proactive behaviours.
Further findings showed that women had a higher health IQ than men, scoring an average of 61.9 versus 52.6 respectively. Gen X (born 1965–1980) showed the strongest health knowledge, averaging 60.6, while Gen Z scored just 54.2.
Average scores varied across regions with the East of England achieving 61.2, while Wales had the lowest average score at 52.2.
The provider’s Health iQ tool, launched today, is designed to help people better understand their health risks and encourage proactive behaviours so they can live healthier for longer.
Dr Martin Thornton, chief medical officer at Bluecrest, said: “In the workplace, we often focus on encouraging healthier behaviours, but we sometimes overlook whether people have the knowledge to make informed decisions. Amid the rise of online health misinformation, we created Health iQ to offer people a credible benchmark for their health literacy.
“Lower scores among employees may indicate the need for a larger focus on preventative health. By raising awareness and improving understanding, employers can empower their teams to make more confident, proactive health choices.”
Dominique Kent, chief executive at Bluecrest, said that throughout her career in the health sector, and particularly in social care, she has seen first hand the transformative impact that preventative health can have, both in the short term, but also in creating long term health benefits.
“Often people only engage in their health when something goes wrong. I saw a lot of that in social care, especially with older people,” she said.
“We believe in a proactive approach. We want to help people spot signs and symptoms early. We want to help people understand risks and act before they have a diagnosis.
“You hear a lot about IQ and you hear a lot about emotional intelligence, but health intelligence, the information needed to make informed decisions about your body, has never been more important.”
