Reports on Well-Being

Reports are listed in reverse chronological order.

End-of-Life Decisions: How Americans Cope
20 Aug 09 While most Americans approve of laws that say treatment can be stopped if that's what a terminally ill patient desires, they are split on what they would do personally in that situation. Only 27% have put into writing their own wishes regarding end-of-life care.

Go West, Old Man: Where Older Adults Feel Young at Heart
7 Aug 09 If a latter-day Ponce de Leon were to search for a modern fountain of youth, he'd do well to explore America's West. There he'd find the highest concentration of older adults in the United States who don't think of themselves as old.

Nap Time
29 Jul 09 Feeling drowsy? You're not alone. On a typical day, a third of the adults in the United States take a nap.

Smokers Can't Blow Off Stress
8 Apr 09 While many say they light up to relieve stress, half of all smokers say they "frequently" experience stress in their daily lives, compared with just 35% of those who once smoked and have now quit, and 31% of those who never smoked.

For Nearly Half of America, Grass Is Greener Somewhere Else; Denver Tops List of Favorite Cities
29 Jan 09 Where would Americans most like to live -- and how do they feel about the place they currently call home?

Republicans: Still Happy Campers
23 Oct 08 Chin up, Republicans. Despite the imploding stock market, the looming recession, the unpopular president and the dismal political polls, there’s very good news in the one realm of life that’s always been a special sanctuary for you. Personal happiness.

America's Four Middle Classes
29 Jul 08 The Top of the Class, the Satisfied Middle, the Anxious Middle and the Struggling Middle – what unites and divides the majority of Americans who call themselves “middle class.”

The Middle Class Blues: Pricey Neighborhoods, High Stress
29 May 08 When it comes to anxiety about family finances, an old truism applies: Where you stand depends on where you sit. Or, more precisely, on where your house or apartment sits.

You're Laid Off: A Worsening Economy Couldn't Come at a Worse Time for Many U.S. Workers
16 Apr 08 At a time when the American economy is trending down and the unemployment rate is ticking up, one out of every seven U.S. workers fear they will be laid off in the next 12 months, according to a recent Pew Social and Demographic Trends survey.

Blacks See Growing Values Gap Between Poor and Middle Class: Optimism about Black Progress Declines
13 Nov 07 African Americans see a widening gulf between the values of middle class and poor blacks, and nearly four-in-ten say that because of the diversity within their community, blacks can no longer be thought of as a single race.

Americans See Less Progress on Their Ladder of Life
14 Sep 06 As economists and politicians debate whether there is less mobility in the U.S. now than in the past, a new Pew survey finds that many among the public are seeing less progress in their own lives.

Once Again, The Future Ain't What It Used to Be
2 May 06 Barely a third of today's adults expect today's children to grow up better off than people are now.

In the Battle of the Bulge, More Soldiers Than Successes: Two-in-three are dieting or exercising
26 Apr 06 Two in three are dieting or exercising, but most feel far from ideal weight.

Eating More; Enjoying Less
19 Apr 06 Just 39% of adults say they enjoy eating "a great deal," down from 48% in 1989 - with a bigger decline among those who consider themselves overweight than among those who consider themselves just about the right weight.

Americans See Weight Problems Everywhere But In the Mirror: We tend to weigh ourselves on a different scale
11 Apr 06 Americans think the nation's waistline is expanding and they consider this a serious problem. But when it comes to weighing themselves, they seem to use a different scale.

Are We Happy Yet?
13 Feb 06 In the pursuit of happiness, it helps to be affluent, a Republican or a regular churchgoer.