Scottish Health Survey 2018 published

The Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) provides a detailed picture of the health of the Scottish population in private households and is designed to make a major contribution to the monitoring of health in Scotland. The 2018 report presents statistics on mental health, food insecurity, diet, smoking, asthma, general health, alcohol intake, obesity, diabetes and other issues.

Key findings from the report include:

• Around two-thirds (65%) of adults in Scotland were overweight, including 28% who were obese. These levels have been relatively stable since 2008. 
• Prevalence of children at risk of obesity in 2018 was 16%. The level has fluctuated between 13% and 17% since 1998. 
• 24% of adults drank at hazardous or harmful levels, the same as in 2017 and down from 34% in 2003. 
• The percentage of men drinking more than four units on their heaviest drinking day declined significantly between 2003 (45%) and 2018 (36%). The percentage of women drinking more than three units on their heaviest drinking day also declined significantly between 2003 (37%) and 2018 (28%). 
• Around two-thirds of adults (66%) met the guidelines for physical activity (150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week) in 2018, the highest level to date though the proportion has not changed significantly since 2013 (64%). 
• In 2018, 16% of adults had a cardiovascular condition, 7% had doctor diagnosed diabetes, 5% had ischaemic heart disease, and 3% had suffered a stroke. There was no significant change since 2017. 
• The proportion of adults providing unpaid care for a family member, friend or someone else in 2017-2018 remained at 15% among those aged 16 and over and 4% among children aged 4-15.

Source: Scottish Government, 24 September 2019