CivicScience continually tracks current and anticipated consumer trends. Here are three key insights marketers should know this week. All insights are derived from the CivicScience Social | Political | Economic | Cultural (SPEC) Report, a weekly report available to clients covering the latest news and insights. Start here to learn more.

1. The vast majority of Americans are concerned about cancer; a third have never undergone a cancer screening.

As the incidence rates of cancer among younger Americans continue to rise, CivicScience data show significant cancer concerns among U.S. adults. More than 3-in-4 Americans express some level of concern about cancer, with 1-in-4 indicating a high degree of concern. Concerns about the possibility of someday being diagnosed with cancer are similar among both younger and older adults. There does appear to be some variation among consumers with different health and diet behaviors; for example, consumers who regularly purchase organic foods are notably more likely to be ‘very’ concerned about someday being diagnosed with cancer.

While regular check-ups and screenings are a vital part of a healthy lifestyle and early detection, as many as 1-in-3 U.S. adults say they have never received a mammogram, prostate exam, or other cancer screening. Among respondents aged 45 and older, men are five percentage points more likely than women to have undergone a cancer screening within the past year, but are also twice as likely to have never had a screening before.

See the full SPEC report for more cancer screening insights.

Answer Our Poll:  How closely do you follow breakthroughs in cancer research?

2. Consumers have shifting priorities for how to use their tax refund this year

With tax season now underway, 59% of consumers expect to receive a refund on their 2024 federal tax filings – a similar percentage compared to last year (57%) and equivalent to 2022. Consumers who expect to receive a refund this year have slightly different plans on what to do with their money than last year. 

For instance, despite general heightened concerns over student loans and holiday debt, those expecting a refund are six percentage points less likely to plan on using their refund to pay down debts. Conversely, they’re also five points more likely to plan on saving or investing it, and six points more likely to plan on going shopping.

3. Roughly one-third of Americans have skipped attending sports events due to rising ticket prices.

Sporting event tickets have skyrocketed across the country, making them unaffordable for many Americans. This aligns with CivicScience data, which found that 32% of U.S. adults have refrained from purchasing tickets to a live sporting event due to rising prices in the past six months. In particular and perhaps unsurprisingly, those who are concerned about repaying their student loans are most likely to have forgone a sporting event ticket.

Join the Discussion: Do you think it’s worth the high cost of tickets to attend a major sporting event?

Want to see more of the in-depth consumer insights found in this report not covered here? Clients receive the SPEC Report in full, plus access to real-time insights driven by our database of over 500K questions. Contact us now to see it in action.Â