New health survey finds nearly half of Scots live with long term conditions
The latest statistics release on Scotland’s health reveals that 46% of Scots live with at least one long term condition.
The Scottish Health Survey statistics 2014, produced by the Scottish Government, give indepth information about the nature of health and wellbeing across Scotland, including prelevance of certain conditions, diet and inequalities in health risk. According to the statistics:
- 46% of adults (aged 16 and over) had at least one long-term condition. This figure was comprised of 31% who had one or more limiting conditions, and 15% with only non-limiting conditions.
- The prevalence of long-term conditions was the same for both men and women.
- The prevalence of long-term conditions increased markedly with age in 2014, from a quarter (25%) of adults aged 16-24 to around three-quarters (77%) of those aged 75 and over (with very similar patterns for men and women).
The survey also notes that average weekly alcohol consumption has declined by more than six units for men between 2003 and 2014, with a 1.6 unit reduction for women. Smoking levels sit at 23% for men and 21% for women, with 15% reporting having used an e-cigarette. Among children, 76% met physical activity guidelines, while 63% of adults met their recommended level.
Other key findings from the report show:
- In 2014, 74 per cent of adults identified their health as ‘good’ or ‘very good’; 8 per cent said it was ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’. Most (95 per cent) children were reported to have ‘good’ or ‘very good’ health, and just 1 per cent ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’.
- Two thirds (65 per cent) of adults are overweight, including 28 per cent who are obese. Prevalence of overweight and obesity has not changed significantly since 2008.
- Just under a third (31 per cent) of children in 2014 were at risk of overweight, including 17 per cent at risk of obesity.
- The prevalence of drinking outwith the government guidelines for weekly and / or daily drinking declined significantly from 2003 to 2014 both for men (from 53% to 46%) and women (from 42% to 36%).
- Adults consumed an average of 3.1 portions of fruit and vegetables a day in 2014, consisting of 1.5 portions of fruit, 1.4 portions of vegetables and 0.3 portions of fruit juice. Children consumed an average of 2.8 portions per day, comprising 1.5 portions of fruit, 0.9 of vegetables, and 0.4 of fruit juice.
- The proportion of adults who were physically active at the recommended level (150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week) has not changed significantly in the last three years (63 per cent in 2014).
- Just over three-quarters (76 per cent) of children met the guideline of 60 minutes or more physical activity a day, an increase from 71 per cent in 2008 and 2009.
- The reported lifetime prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma was 17 per cent for adults, an increase from 13 per cent in 2003. Prevalence for children aged 0-15 was 11 per cent, a decrease from 16 per cent in 2003.
- In 2014, 4 per cent of adults had doctor-diagnosed Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This figure has not changed significantly since 2008.
