DDB INSIGHTS

[ddbinsights]

Hong Kong’s Perception of Health and Well-being Slumps

The results, from a new annual well-being study commissioned by health insurer Cigna and conducted by Ipsos, seeks to identify and monitor the factors, motivations, perceptions and attitudes that impact an individual person’s, as well the region’s, health, wellness and well-being.

The inaugural report covered 6,000 consumers across the five Asian markets from China to South Korea, Thailand, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

Surprisingly, China ranked first in the survey’s ‘360° Well-being Score’ league table of Asia Pacific countries, with almost one in every 10 ranking their overall well-being as ‘excellent’ and a further 33% as ‘very good’.

This compared starkly with Hong Kong, where less than a third rated their overall personal perceptions of health and well-being as being either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.

Hong Kong respondents’ top concern was the increasing cost of living, with just 21% of those surveyed feeling ‘positive’ about their financial health and less than a quarter prepared for unexpected medical expenses.

The survey suggests, in comparison with other countries, that ‘sleepless’ Hong Kong citizens believe they are physically, emotionally and financially stressed, overweight and even somewhat socially isolated.

“However, when we drill deeper into the findings we find that, in their somewhat negative perceptions, they may be doing themselves something of a disservice,” Austin Marsh, CEO and country manager of Cigna Hong Kong, said.

“In fact, compared to other markets in the region, Hongkongers, in reality, are doing far better in regards to their overall physical health, financial, family and social well-being than they believe they are.”

Hong Kong citizens have, he said, a healthier weight than regional average, 49% and 41% respectively. Fewer Hongkongers consume alcohol on a regular basis than people in any other country in the region and almost a quarter (24%) say they never drink.

Source: http://www.marketing-interactive.com/hong-kong-health/?utm_campaign=20150114_mktdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=HK&utm_content=listing

[ddbinsights]

HOW TO STAND OUT IN CROWDED INBOXES?

Research by the Radicati Group has shown that by 2016, there will be over 4.3 billion email accounts in the world. And a Yesmail Email Marketing Compass report reported that subscriptions to email content have grown by 9 percent year over year in the past five years. Despite this growth, the rate of overall emails opened has dropped 3 percent.

- Personalized emails have been reported to multiply transaction rates (up to 6x!) when executed skillfully.

- When a brand reduced the call to action from four buttons to one button in their email, they received a 42 percent increase in engagement.

Source: http://contently.com/strategist/2014/12/18/how-to-stand-out-in-crowded-inboxes/?goal=0_855cf0c201-0e97e93eca-314601569

[ddbinsights]

HAPPINESS DRIVES SHARES

It stands to reason that emotion plays a crucial role in viral content. We share because we care—because we feel connected to a video, image, or post we see online. But researchers at China’s Beihang University dug deeper to find that the kind of emotion matters as well. By analyzing emoticons on a microblogging platform similar to Twitter, they determined joy spreads significantly faster than sadness or disgust. These findings are similar to those of two professors from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, whose research led them to conclude happy content is more viral than sad content.

Source: http://contently.com/strategist/2014/12/15/7-things-we-learned-about-viral-content-in-2014/

[ddbinsights]

Alzheimer's disease in HK

One-third of current 85 years old or above elderly in HK suffering from Alzheimer's disease. 

Predicting patients will increase to over 300 thousand along the growth of aging population (source supply by HKJC) Source: ST Headline  2014 DEC 16

[ddbinsights]

Every child should enjoy at least one hour of free play each day for healthy development

Children have the right to rest and leisure to engage in play and recreational activities according to the Article 31 of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

4 Essences of Free Play: - Child-oriented: Children have the right to decide what to play and how to play. They can also explore, invent and create their play. - Growing fun and healthy: Play helps children to relax and relieve stress, develop muscles and improve body coordination. - Anytime & anywhere: Be creative! You can play everywhere, at home, school, park or any open space. - Playable space: With the support from parents, schools and the society, there can be more space and opportunities for play.  Source: Unicef News Letter 2014 Dec

[ddbinsights]

"Sometimes when things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place"

Source: South China Morning Post - 24 ways to Christmas 2014 DEC 01

[ddbinsights]

"Whatever comes, comes; whatever goes, goes; whatever will be, will be"

Source: South China Morning Post - 24 ways to Christmas 2014 DEC 01

[ddbinsights]

American author, Maya Angelou ”I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”

Source: South China Morning Post - 24 ways to Christmas 2014 DEC 01

[ddbinsights]

The Centre for Health Protection also issued a warning to elderly people and those with chronic illnesses - including hypertension, diabetes and endocrine disorders - to wear warm clothing and keep up their exercise to boost blood circulation during the cold snap.  "Cold weather can easily trigger illness, especially among the elderly and those suffering from heart disease respiratory or chronic illnesses," a spokesman for the centre said. "The elderly have less insulating fat beneath their skin to keep them warm, and their body temperature control mechanisms may be weaker".

Source: South China Morning Post - Elderly told to wrap up amid cold snap 2014 DEC 02

[ddbinsights]

According to a 2005 study by the University of Sheffield published in the journal Psychology of Music, group singing "can produce satisfying and therapeutic sensations even when the sound produced by the vocal instrument is of mediocre quality"

Source: South China Morning Post - 24 ways to Christmas  2014 DEC 01

[ddbinsights]

A new Taiwanese study shows potatoes, cauliflower or turmeric could enhance one's memory. Adding just one gram of turmeric to breakfast improved working memory over 6 hours in pre-diabetic adults aged 60 or older.

Source: South China Morning Post - 24 ways to Christmas  2014 DEC 01

[ddbinsights]

Colin Symmonds, physiotherapist at Joint Dynamics said "We are designed to move, not sit still. Most office workers are up and moving for only about 5% of the day (~73 mins.)The effects of prolonged sitting are cumulativeL it leads to back pain, a 64% increase of heart disease, a risk of dying prematurely if you sit for longer than 11 hours a day. It has also been strongly linked to depression. Solution is Every 45 mins. stand up and walk around for 2mins." 

Source: South China Morning Post - 24 ways to Christmas  2014 DEC 01

[ddbinsights]

Coffee help prevent some of the damaging effects of obesity, according to a recent study by University of Georgia, It does this through chlorogenic acid, a chemical compound found in coffee. In the study, the compound significantly reduced insulin resistance and accumulation of fat in the livers of mice who were fed a high-fat diet.

Source: South China Morning Post - 24 ways to Christmas  2014 DEC 01

[ddbinsights]

Research shows that hugging and being hugged- lowers heart rate, blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Source: South China Morning Post - 24 ways to Christmas  2014 DEC 01

[ddbinsights]

Charmain Tan, a registered dietitian with 17 Nutrition Consultants "Instead of starving oneself, eat sensibly: 3 balanced meals per day with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables. This will keep ones bowel clean and the face shiny."

Source: South China Morning Post - 24 ways to Christmas  2014 DEC 01

[ddbinsights]

Moderation is key when it comes to drinking, says Dr Anders Leung, a Hong Kong-based specialist in cardiology. "Health experts agree that less than 300ml of wine for men and 150ml for women daily can help reduce cholesterol levels"

Source: South China Morning Post - 24 ways to Christmas  2014 DEC 01

[ddbinsights]

Running is one of the best ways to get high. 2008 study by German scientists found that during 2 hours runs, subject's pre-frontal and limbic regions (brain areas which light up in response to emotions such as love) had a surge of endorphins. But to release these feel-good hormones, you need to find the right pace and distance. Push yourself too fast and too far, and you will be exhausted. Conversely, a short, casual run won't create enough discomfort, which is needed to trigger that rush.

Source: South China Morning Post - 24 ways to Christmas  2014 DEC 01