Global consumer survey reveals opportunity to bring joints higher on health agenda
FMCG Gurus surveyed 10,000 consumers across ten countries - Australia, China, South Korea, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Brazil, and USA - in Q2 of 2022 and found that whilst many consumers (75%) say they are satisfied with their health, their symptoms suggest they shouldn't be.
"The data shows that 75% of global consumers were satisfied with their joint health, yet the reality is that when it comes to joint health – and the wider topic of mobility – consumers have a somewhat skewed version of what constitutes good health," asserts Mike Hughes, head of research and insights at FMCG Gurus.
For instance, the research found that 53% of consumers suffered from back pains at least some of the time, while 42%
suffered from a lack of flexibility at least occasionally.
A sizeable 41% of consumers over the age of 55 said that their mobility had worsened in the last two years, compared to just 4% of those under the age of 38. However, looking at back pain specifically, there was minimal difference across the age groups saying they suffer such problems at least occasionally.
Hughes says the reality is that compared to other areas of wellness, such as digestive health and mental well-being, consumers simply tend to be less attentive to their joint health and mobility.
"Moreover, they also accept that issues such as aches and pains are an inevitable consequence of life, as opposed to something that they can actively address via taking a preventative approach."
The data reveals 17% felt that their mobility has worsened in the last two years, while 17% planned to address their joint health over the next twelve months. Hughes says this indicates people only address this area of wellness should a problem arise.
"A total of 87% of consumers attribute poor mobility to ageing, a figure higher than the answer given for poor posture and lack of exercise – indicating that consumers feel a decline in mobility is something that cannot be helped."
The data also exemplifies the difference in attitude towards joint pain across different age brackets.
"This further highlights reactive attitudes towards mobility – consumers of all ages suffer from problems, but younger people simply do not believe it to be as big a deal, especially if the pains are only short-term."
Dietary intervention
When asked what dietary changes they would make to improve their mobility, 88% said they would increase their fruit intake, 80% said they would increase their calcium intake, and 90% of consumers say they associate protein with aiding mobility health.
Approximately 69% of consumers across the globe were aware of collagen as a functional ingredient but very few considered this a bone health supplement.
"While 48% of these consumers say that they associate the ingredient with skin health and 42% with immune health, only 16% say that they associate collagen with joint and bone health," Hughes explains, "showing that more needs to be done to educate consumers about functional ingredients that can aid joint and bone health."
