There are taboo topics like religion and politics, but Americans are just as guarded when discussing chronic illnesses with family and friends, according to a new study.
Researchers found that 82 percent of people surveyed said that they knew someone with a chronic illness, and only 34 percent of them were likely to talk to this person about maintaining their health.
In the survey, of the 1,000 adults studied, approximately 37 percent said that they could also discuss religion and 33 percent, religion with a loved one or friend.
Click here to read the HealthDay story
The survey, released by Evercare, also found that the volunteers were reluctant to discuss the illnesses because of the following: 66 percent of them thought the person had the illness under control; 31 percent of them didn’t consider themselves health care professionals; 29 percent do not want to seem rude; 27 percent did not think the person would listen to them; and 15 percent didn’t think it was important to bring up in conversation.
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