Welsh Health Survey, 2011

These statistics on the health and health-related lifestyle of people living in Wales are based on data from the Welsh Health Survey 2011. Some initial headline results from the survey were published on 22nd May 2012. The main report published now includes more detailed information. Local authority and health board results are provided in an accompanying statistical bulletin.

Please note that additional tables are presented in Excel alongside the report, which provide more detailed data breakdowns, including trend data. A presentation is also available which presents the key findings from the Annual Report.

Health status, illnesses and other conditions:

• 16% of adults reported that their health in general was excellent, 34% very good, 30% good, 15% fair, and 6% poor.
• 20% of adults reported currently being treated for high blood pressure, 14% for a respiratory illness, 12% for arthritis, 11% for a mental illness, 9% for a heart condition, and 7% for diabetes.
• 34% of adults reported that their day-to-day activities were limited because of a health problem/disability, including 16% who were limited a lot.
• Rates of illnesses have generally changed fairly slowly over the eight years of the survey, however there has been a slight increase in adults reporting being treated for high blood pressure, mental illness and diabetes, and a slight decrease for heart conditions and arthritis.

Health-related lifestyle:

• 23% of adults reported that they currently smoked.
• 20% of adult non-smokers reported being regularly exposed to other people’s tobacco smoke indoors.
• 43% of adults reported drinking above the guidelines on at least one day in the past week, including 27% who reported drinking more than twice the daily guidelines (sometimes termed binge drinking). However, people do not necessarily drink at these levels regularly.
• 33% of adults reported eating five or more portions of fruit and vegetables the previous day.
• 29% of adults reported being physically active on 5 or more days in the past week(1).
• 57% of adults were classified as overweight or obese, including 22% obese.
• There has been a slight decrease in smoking rates and a slight increase in levels of obesity over the eight years of the survey. There has been little change in physical activity during this time.

Health service use:

• 17% of adults reported that they had talked to a GP about their own health in the past 2 weeks.
• 32% of adults reported attending a hospital outpatient department in the past twelve months, and 9% reported staying in hospital as an inpatient (overnight or longer).
• 70% of adults reported using a dentist in the past 12 months, 69% a pharmacist, and 49% an optician.

Health of children:

• 71% of children were reported to have very good general health, and 24% of children were reported to have good general health.
• 18% of children were reported as having a long-standing illness, including 5% with a limiting long-standing illness.
• 35% of children were classified as overweight or obese, including 19% obese(2).
• Five years of data is available for children, commencing in 2007. There has been little change in children’s reported health or levels of overweight / obesity during this time.

(1) Did at least 30 minutes of at least moderate intensity physical activity on 5 or more days in the previous week.
(2) Using a classification system based on the 85th and 95th percentiles of the 1990 UK BMI reference curves, and not comparable with estimates produced on a different basis or with adult estimates.

Contact

Tel: 029 2082 6710
E-mail: stats.healthinfo@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next update

May 2013 (provisional - to be confirmed on Due Out Soon page)