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Health Information and Trust

Public Uses Social Media for Health to Understand Others’ Experiences and Get Immediate Info; Some Also Cite Access and Cost Issues

This poll finds that about 3 in 10 adults turn to social media for health information and advice at least monthly. Community connection and the need for immediate answers are the top reasons why people are turning to these tools. Slim majorities of those who use social media for health are confident they can tell what is true, and relatively few take steps to check the information they receive.

Dashboard: Polling on Health Information and Trust

Drawing on KFF’s poll findings, this interactive dashboard tracks the public’s trusted sources for health information, attitudes toward vaccines, and use of news, social media, and AI for health-related information.

THE MIDTERMS

KFF Health Tracking Poll: MAHA and the Midterms

Chemical food additive and pesticide concerns associated with the Make America Health Again (MAHA) movement are shared broadly across the public. But when it comes to voters, health care costs are a higher priority and bigger motivator, even among MAHA supporters, a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. When asked to identify their most important health priority for government to address, far more MAHA-supporting voters identify lowering the cost of health care (42%) than other issues more closely associated with the movement.

For more on this topic, read KFF Founding President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman's new Beyond the Data column: There Are Many MAHAs.

Poll: Health Care Costs and the Midterms

Health care costs continue to top the public’s list of affordability worries, even as concerns about gas prices have risen in recent weeks, with two-thirds of the public expressing worry over affording health care costs.

Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs

This data note reviews our recent polling data that finds that many Americans struggle to afford many aspects of health care, including disproportionate shares of uninsured adults, Black and Hispanic adults and those with lower incomes.

Recent Polls

Public Views on Foreign Aid and Global Health

This poll finds that less than half of the public now wants the U.S. to play at least a major role in improving the health of people in developing countries. When asked about the administration’s changes to foreign aid and global health, more people perceive a negative impact than a positive one.

Knowledge and Views of Medication Abortion

This KFF Health Tracking Poll finds that many, including women of reproductive age, remain unfamiliar with key facts about mifepristone. Fewer than half of all adults say they believe abortion pills are safe now, compared to over half of all adults two years ago. This poll explores awareness and perception of the recent FDA review of the medication, and support for policies aimed at restricting it.

KFF/New York Times Survey of Immigrants

KFF-New York Times Survey: Immigrants Report Rising Fear, Negative Economic and Health Impacts, and Changing Political Views During the First Year of President Trump’s Second Term

The 2025 Survey of Immigrants, a partnership between KFF and The New York Times, takes an in-depth look at the experiences of immigrants during the first year of President Trump’s second term, including their worries related to increased immigration enforcement, their health and economic wellbeing, and the political views and preferences of immigrant voters. The survey paints a portrait of families under strain — where fear of detention and economic instability are negatively impacting immigrants’ health and reshaping immigrant families’ daily lives and views of U.S. political parties.

Read the News Release | Explore The New York Times’ Reporting

the essentials

Health Tracking Poll

Our signature survey project provides up-to-date data on the public’s health care views, knowledge, and experiences.

Tracking the Public’s Views on the ACA

Tracking the Public’s Views on the ACA

This interactive tool tracks public opinion on the Affordable Care Act, from the inception of the law to the present, including trends based on party identification, income, age, gender, and race/ethnicity.

Health Information and Trust Tracking Poll

The Health Information and Trust Tracking Poll is part of KFF’s Health Information and Trust Initiative, which tracks health misinformation and analyzes its impact on the public.

Polls in Health Policy

This chapter of our digital “textbook” explores why surveys are essential for understanding health policy issues. 

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  • KFF/The Washington Post Trans Survey

    Poll Finding

    The KFF/Washington Post Trans survey is the most in-depth representative survey of the life experiences of transgender adults in the U.S., including how they define themselves, their childhood experiences, their gender transitions, and the hostility and discrimination they face

  • 1 in 4 Transgender Adults Say They’ve Been Physically Attacked, New KFF/Washington Post Partnership Survey Finds

    News Release

    A new KFF-Washington Post partnership survey provides a groundbreaking portrait of the diverse identities and experiences of transgender adults in the United States, including how they define themselves, childhood experiences, gender transitions, and the hostility and discrimination they face. The project is the most in-depth representative survey of the life experiences of transgender adults living in the U.S., based on interviews with 515 trans individuals. KFF and The Washington Post also conducted a comparison survey…

  • The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use

    Issue Brief

    This brief explores mental health and substance use during, and prior to, the COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight populations that were more likely to experience worse mental health and substance use outcomes during the pandemic and discuss some innovations in the delivery of services.

  • Latest Federal Data Show That Young People Are More Likely Than Older Adults to Be Experiencing Symptoms of Anxiety or Depression

    News Release

    Young adults in the United States continue to be more likely than their older counterparts to be experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to the latest federal data analyzed by KFF researchers. The analysis of the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey finds that half (50%) of adults ages 18-24 reported anxiety and depression symptoms in 2023, compared to about a third of adults overall. The data also show that young adults are more likely…

  • The COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights from Three Years of KFF Polling

    Poll Finding

    Trust in public health officials declined over the course of the pandemic, particularly among Republicans. Over the course of the pandemic, KFF polling has found a decline in trust of public health officials – most notably among Republicans. In 2022, majorities of Democrats continued to say they have at least a fair amount of trust in the CDC, the FDA, and Dr. Fauci, while less than half of Republicans had the same level of trust…

  • KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: January 2023

    Feature

    This survey finds that nearly four-in-ten adults say their households were recently sick with COVID-19, the Flu, or RSV, and news of the viruses is making many more likely to wear masks and take other precautions. It also explores uptake of the new bivalent booster, why many vaccinated adults have not gotten it, and enthusiasm for another shot among those who have.

  • Nearly Four in Ten Say Their Households Were Sick with COVID-19, the Flu, or RSV Recently Even as Most People Say They Aren’t Too Worried About Getting Seriously Ill

    News Release

    Booster update remains modest; half of those already boosted are waiting for updated CDC guidelines to get another dose Nearly four in ten (38%) people say their households were affected by this winter's triple threat of viruses, with someone getting sick with the flu, COVID-19, or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and nearly half (46%) say the news of these three viruses spreading has made them more likely to wear masks or take other precautions to…

  • The Public, Including Women of Childbearing Age, Are Largely Confused About the Legality of Medication Abortion and Emergency Contraceptives in Their States

    News Release

    More than six months since the Supreme Court issued their Dobbs decision which overturned Roe v. Wade, there is widespread public confusion about the medication abortion pill and whether it is legal at the state level, according to the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll. The poll also finds many are unsure about the legality of emergency contraceptive pills, sometimes called morning after pills or “Plan B,” and whether the pills can end a pregnancy. Across…