Three-quarters of Americans say health habits are mostly personal responsibility
Core finding
In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted March 6 to 16, 2026, 75% of Americans said individuals are fully or mostly responsible for their health behaviors.
One in five said individuals and government are equally responsible (20%), while 5% said government is mostly or fully responsible for creating conditions that make it easier to choose healthy behaviors.
Topline distribution
75% of Americans say individuals are fully or mostly responsible for their health behaviors.
Do individuals bear full responsibility for their health behaviors or is government responsible for creating conditions that make it easier to choose healthy behaviors?
n = 1,000 · Mar 6–16, 2026 · MoE ±3.6%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Mar 6–16, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.6% |
| Module | Module 4: Identity, Politics, & Social Trust |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044
Do individuals bear full responsibility for their health behaviors or is government responsible for creating conditions that make it easier to choose healthy behaviors?
Cite this question
Verasight Client Omnibus Survey #2026-044, fielded March 6-16, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.6%.