INTRODUCTION
The Scottish Health Survey provides reliable information on the health and health-related behaviours of people living in private households. Among the Surveys' aims are to estimate the prevalence of a range of health conditions and to monitor progress towards Scottish health and dietary targets.
The 2003 survey is the third in a series which began in 1995 with a survey of adults aged 16-64. The 1998 survey also included children aged 2-15 and adults aged 65-74 for the first time. The 2003 survey did not have any age limits and included children from 0 upwards and adults aged 16+. All three surveys were commissioned by what is now the Scottish Executive Health Department. The first two surveys were conducted by the Joint Health Surveys Unit ( JHSU) of the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London ( UCL). In 2003, the JHSU collaborated with the MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit ( MRCSPHSU) at the University of Glasgow.
Conducting the survey
Each survey takes place at a fresh sample of addresses throughout Scotland. Interviewers call at each address to ask for co-operation, which is entirely voluntary. Two samples were selected for the 2003 survey: a general population (main) sample in which all adults and up to two children were eligible to be selected in each household; and a child boost sample in which up to two children were eligible to be selected in additional households in the same areas. The survey involved an interview and a nurse visit.
Interviewers collected information about:
- general health, long-standing illness and acute sickness;
- cardiovascular disease and related conditions;
- respiratory symptoms, including asthma;
- eating habits, including fruit and vegetable consumption;
- smoking and drinking;
- physical activity;
- recent accidents;
- dental health;
- use of health services;
- demographic and other background details.
They also measured height and weight.
Nurses collected information about prescribed medicines, vitamins and gastro-enteritis. They measured blood pressure, lung function and waist, hip, mid-upper arm circumference and arm length, as appropriate depending on the informant's age. They also collected saliva samples from those aged 4 and over, and blood samples from those aged 11 and over. Some informants aged 16 and over were also asked to provide a urine sample, and some aged 35 and over were asked to have an ECG reading.
Response to the survey
At least one interview was conducted at approximately 67% of all eligible households in the main sample and at 77% of households in the child boost sample. A total of 8,148 adults and 3,324 children were interviewed, of whom 5,444 adults and 2,224 children saw a nurse. The overall response rate was estimated to be 60% among all adults, with 40% of all those eligible seeing a nurse. The corresponding figures for children were 72% and 48%.
Results
The full results of 2003 Scottish Health Survey are published in a report that consists of 23 chapters across four volumes, published as a set as 'The Scottish Health Survey 2003'. Volume 1 presents results for cardiovascular disease and Volume 2 presents the remaining results for adults, Volume 3 presents results for children and Volume 4 provides methodological information and survey documentation. The full report is available on the web at www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/17861/10352 . A series of Health Board tables including some of the key indicators presented in the report are also available at this website.
This booklet presents selected key findings from the 2003 survey, including differences by gender, age, income, area deprivation and socio-economic classification (defined according to the householder with the highest income). The full report also includes comparisons between Scotland and England. Although some noteworthy differences were found, similarities were more common. Comparisons are also made with the results of the 1995 and 1998 Scottish Health Surveys. While there was little change in some areas, significant progress has been made in some, such as increasing levels of physical activity and decreasing smoking prevalence.