India’s Gen Z has been redefining health and wellness, prioritising preventive care. Nearly four in five of Gen Z respondents (78%) in India experience a positive emotion when taking responsibility for their healthcare. This was revealed in a global study report released by Burson titled, ‘Gen Z: Calling for healthcare connection and change’. The study focuses on capturing the specific healthcare experiences, anxieties and aspirations of Gen Z.
Pointing out the shifting priorities of the Indian Gen Z post-COVID, the report states that 67% of India’s Gen Z have now been increasingly focusing on physical health and 63% have been giving a high importance to mental health.
With access to digital health tools, personalised wellness plans, and mental health resources, they are making informed decisions about their well-being. However, nearly 53% of the Gen Z respondents in India state that they face serious challenges such as affordability and access to quality care as well as misleading online information related to health.
While nearly 66% of the Indian Gen Z surveyed prioritise in-person care and value connections, 77% mention that they trust doctors and 68% rely on hospitals and clinics. In fact, more than half of the Gen Z respondents in India (59%) believe that healthcare service providers play a major role in their wellness journeys.
Hemali Mahajan, managing director, GCI Health India, said, “This report captures key trends and insights essential to understanding the future of the healthcare in India. Gen Z's emphasis on in-person care, coupled with an openness to digital health solutions, presents an opportunity for healthcare providers to create integrated and personalised experiences to meet their evolving needs.”
The emphasis of India’s Gen Z on self-care, technology-driven health management, and demand for transparency from healthcare providers reflects a shift toward a more engaged and empowered approach to personal health. Interestingly, nearly 53% of Gen Z respondents in India are open about exploring and embracing alternative medicine, indicating the rising popularity of various holistic treatment options amongst India's youth.
In addition to the findings of the global Gen Z study by Burson, the report incorporates believability findings from Burson’s cognitive AI tool, Decipher Health. Designed to optimise healthcare communications by predicting content impact across various audience segments, the tool forecasted high believability scores relative to the survey. Decipher Health has been developed by Burson in partnership with Limbik AI and a PR Studio feature in WPP Open, WPP’s AI-powered marketing operating system.
Deepshikha Dharmaraj, CEO, Burson Group India, said, “Gen Z, the digital-native generation, is gradually taking responsibility of their health. This study provides insights into what this generation values. These insights will be important for healthcare providers, policymakers, and communicators seeking to effectively engage with this demographic.”
