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Eat. Drink. Play. Rest. That isn't exactly an Indonesian
health and fitness mantra because only one in five Indonesians "love to
do as many sports as possible" or "like tough physical activity".
As many as 44 percent of men and 56 percent of women haven't played any
physical games at all in the last three months, but 30 percent of the
population engage in some form of exercise either regularly or
occasionally.
On the other hand, almost 45 percent of the population would like to
lose weight, a nationwide desire influenced by a majority of women.
While half the country is "constantly watching my weight", it's a
concern that affects 46 percent of men and 55 percent of women.
These are some of the health-related insights from Roy Morgan Single
Source, the country's largest syndicated survey with more than 25,000
respondents each year representing more than 90 percent of the
population above the age of 14, both urban and rural, including the Top
20 cities.
More than 40 percent of Indonesians are calorie-conscious, a number
influenced again by women. One in three people believe that "health
food isn't necessary if you eat properly" but almost two out of three
are eating less red meat nowadays. That's not just because beef isn't
as affordable as it was for sections of society today, but also because
half the people across the country are worried about their cholesterol
levels.
The pleasant surprises are the high levels of desire for calcium in the
daily diet (71 percent), as well as the effort people make to buy food
that is additive-free (70 percent). Isn't it good to know too that a
low-fat diet is a way of life for more than 40 percent of Indonesians?
That would be a welcome reality in countries like the United States and
Australia where one in three people are classified as obese.
Almost three out of four Indonesians are satisfied with the quality of
services provided by primary health clinics around the country, so
healthcare isn't exactly a political issue. Dengue fever followed by
cancer are the most feared diseases, worrying more than 60 percent of
the population.
But judging by the frequency of purchase for most types of
over-the-counter (OTC) drugs available, most Indonesians across the
country are leading trouble-free, healthy lives every day. Six percent
of the population bought a headache pill last month and 5 percent
bought cough medicine, while only 3 percent bought an antacid or the
perhaps inappropriately named "aphrodisiac" category of medicines like
Pilkita. In contrast, one in three people have had a vitamin in the
last six months.
Of the top-selling analgesics and flu remedies bought in the last four
weeks, Paramex and Bodrex dominate with a 20 and 19 percent share of
customers, respectively. Komix is the most popular cough medicine with
24 percent of the population, followed by Konidin at 12 percent.
The global favorite Vicks finds itself restricted to just 6 percent of
homes around the country. The rumbling stomach is soothed by antacids
like the local leader Promag (20 percent) and the internationally
popular Mylanta (3 percent), more than any other brands.
The vitamin market is led by Hemaviton with 10 percent of all users in
the last six months, but this category has a larger number of players
sharing the spoils. Brands like Vitacimin and Xon-Ce, CDR and Redoxon
are popular too.
In comparison, herbal medicines or jamu aren't as popular today as they
once may have been. Only 5 percent have bought any in the last six
months. At the other end, only 1 percent bought anything at all from an
apotik in the last four weeks. Relative to its affluent neighbor
Australia, Indonesia has lower levels of purchase and usage of OTC
drugs. Let's hope that economic progress and the urge to self-medicate
don't go hand in hand.
Margin of Error
The margin of error allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the
number of interviews on which it was based. The following table gives
indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95
percent likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points
above or below the actual estimate.
The figures are approximate and for general guidance only and assume a
simple random sample. Allowance for design effects (such as
stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
The writer is an advertising professional turned researcher and
consultant based in Melbourne. He has lived and worked across the
Asia-Pacific region, including Indonesia. He remains a regular visitor
to the country.
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