Though Few View Hawaii as Leader
HONOLULU—Jan. 12, 2006—More than 80% of Hawaii residents say medical and health research is important to the state's economy, but less than half that number (38%) view Hawaii as a leader in this field, according to a new statewide poll released today by Research!America.
The new poll finds that 85% of residents believe the state should cultivate the development of biotechnology industry, and more than three in four (80%) think the state should offer financial incentives to attract new scientific research. While support is strong for fostering scientific research in the state, a large majority are unable to name a single place in Hawaii where medical research is conducted. Only the University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine was named by more than 5% of residents (17% cited).
The poll also finds:
- 94% of Hawaii residents say it is important to invest in scientific research to create jobs and increase income levels;
- 96% want the state to create more opportunities for young people to pursue careers in science and research;
- 60% are willing to pay $1 per week more in taxes for additional medical research.
"Research!America's poll clearly shows that the people of Hawaii recognize the economic benefits that medical research brings to the state and understand that investing in new research means new jobs and higher wages," said Dr. J. David Curb, president and CEO/Medical Director of the Pacific Health Research Institute, a Research!America member.
Residents of Hawaii overwhelmingly (95%) think clinical research, to test the effectiveness of treatments, drugs or devices, is valuable. More than one in four (27%) has participated in a clinical research study, and 60% say they are likely to volunteer for such a study. Despite their willingness to participate, only 6% say their doctors have ever suggested they participate in a clinical research study. More than half (53%) say they are also willing to be genetically tested to help doctors diagnose and prevent disease.
As states consider the potential of new research technologies like genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and stem cell and cloning research, the poll finds that more than half of Hawaii residents (57%) support GMOs to prevent diseases in crops and aid the development of new pharmaceuticals. Almost three-quarters (73%) think research into therapeutic cloning to develop treatments for diseases and disabilities should go forward, but a strong majority (76%) oppose reproductive cloning to create a child.
"As we see among people on the U.S. mainland, Research!America's poll finds the people of Hawaii also support exploring new research frontiers, like therapeutic cloning and bio-engineered organisms," said Mary Woolley, president of Research!America. "Hawaii residents recognize the value of medical and health research for the health of their state's economy and for the overall health of the nation."
Nearly all Hawaii residents (94%) think it is important for the United States to be the global leader in medical and health research, and 86% say the federal government should support basic research that advances scientific knowledge even if it brings no immediate benefits. Almost 80% want Congress to support tax and regulatory policies to encourage private industries to conduct more medical research.
Other poll findings include:
- Half (50%) believe we should spend more on medical and health research than the current 6 cents of every health dollar;
- 92% support medical research to study and eliminate health problems that disproportionately affect lower-income and minority citizens;
- 97% say it is important to educate and train individuals to conduct medical and health research;
- Two-thirds say that, as the nation looks for ways to manage health care costs, the national commitment to health-related research should be higher.
Survey Partners
The survey was commissioned by Research!America in partnership with five Hawaii organizations with deep interest in health and medical research. They are: Pacific Health Research Institute, University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine, American Cancer Society Hawaii Pacific, American Heart Association and the Hawaii Medical Service Association.
Research!America is the nation's largest not-for-profit public education and advocacy alliance working to make medical and health research-including research to prevent disease, disability and injury and to promote health-a much higher national priority. Research!America has been gauging Americans' attitudes toward medical and health research for more than a decade.
Charlton Research Company conducted the poll by telephone with 800 Hawaii residents, ages 18 and over, from November 5-10, 2005. The entire sample was proportionate to the state's demographics, including geography, gender, voter registration and ethnicity. The results have a statistical precision of ± 3.5 percentage points of polling the entire adult population of Hawaii.
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