Factoids 04-16-10

More than half of those who have an MP3 player have used the device to listen to music via their car stereo. [Entertainment, Automotive] (Arbitron and Edison Research; phone: 410-312-8363)

A slight majority of Americans (51%) feel good about their personal finances, up from 42% in March 2010; 42% feel good about spending money, up from 36% over the same period. [Finance, Consumer Spending & Attitudes] (RBC; phone: 212-428-6902)

Some 54% of Americans only clean the areas of their home that are visible, skipping hard-to-reach places, even though 74% feel their home is not truly clean unless hard-to-reach places are tended to. [Home/Housing] (LG Electronics; phone: 201-816-2011)

A third of those aged 50 and older say their doctors never discuss potential drug interactions when prescribing medication, and 20% have received conflicting information from doctors. [Healthcare/Medical] (Campaign for Better Care; phone: 202-371-1999)

More than two thirds of men aged 18-21 (69%) say it takes a while for their minds to feel awake in the morning, including 57% who say it takes several hours for them to feel they are functioning at full capacity. [Youth, Men] (Unilever; phone: 312-661-2326)

Nearly six in 10 college students (58%) believe that technology helps them to engage with coursework and learning; the tools students prefer most are websites, communication tools, digital homework tools, and static digital content. [Education, Online] (Cengage Learning; phone: 203-965-8634)

Nearly half of teen girls (48%) get information about sex, pregnancy, and parenting from TV shows. [Human Behavior, Youth] (Candie’s Foundation; phone: 212-819-2066)

More than three quarters of workers (78%) lived paycheck to paycheck as of November 2009, up from 61% six months prior, and 17% reduced their contributions to their 401(k)s. [Finance] (CareerBuilder; phone: 773-527-2437)

Men in Philadelphia are most likely to have full beards (21%); men in Atlanta are most likely to have goatees (32%); men living in Dallas are the most likely to have soul patches (14%); and men in Boston are most likely to be clean shaven (31%). [Men, Health & Beauty Aids] (Schick; phone: 203-882-2100)

More than four in 10 couples with children (43%) have not had a date without their kids in three months or more, and 18% have not gone out alone since having had children. [Family] (Sittercity; phone: 312-436-0952)

Nearly two thirds of Americans (64%) think that it is a good time to buy a home, but 23% of renters say it will take them longer than planned to purchase a home because of the recession. [Home/Housing] (Fannie Mae; phone: 202-752-6720)

Men (22%) are more likely than women (17%) to believe there are aliens on earth. [Opinion] (Ipsos; phone: 416-324-2900)

A third of office supervisors (32%) have turned to their administrative assistants for help with technology. [Technology, Workforce/Employment] (OfficeTeam; phone: 650-234-6289)

Americans spent $1.2 billion while shopping on mobile devices in 2009, nearly triple the $363 million they spent in 2008. [Consumer Spending & Attitudes, Telecommunications] (ABI Research; phone: 516-624-2500)

While consumers spent 0.8% less in restaurants in 2009, the average check per person grew 3% to $5.82. [Food/Beverages, Consumer Spending & Attitudes] (NPD Group; phone: 847-692-1781)

Nearly a quarter of adults (24%) plan to watch the Masters golfing event due to Tiger Woodss return to the sport. [Sports, Television] (Zogby Interactive; phone: 877-462-7655)

The features Americans most commonly use on their mobile phones are its camera (68%), alarm clock (56%), and games (31%). [Technology] (Synovate; phone: 212-293-6100)

Blacks (75%) are the most likely to watch TV within the hour before they go to bed, followed by Hispanics (72%), Whites (64%), and Asians (52%). [Television] (National Sleep Foundation; phone: 202-347-3471)

The average cost of owning and operating a four-wheel drive SUV is $0.74 per mile, factoring in the cost of gas, insurance, and vehicle maintenance; $0.70 per mile for large sedans, $0.62 for minivans, $0.56 for medium sedans, and $0.43 for small sedans. [Automotive] (AAA; phone: 407-444-8003)

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