Publication
Health Education Population Survey (HEPS): Update from 2004 Survey - Final Report
| Contents: | Summary 1. Introduction 2. Attitudes to own health 3. Physical activity 4. Diet 5. Smoking 6. Alcohol 7. Mental Health 8. Oral health 9. Sexual health 10. Cannabis legislation Appendix |
2. Attitudes to own health
How respondents view their own health provides relevant context for health education and promotion. The way people view their own health, and their ability to influence their own health, is likely to have an impact on how responsive they are to health education messages, and to the effort they would be willing to make to improve their health in the longer term. Moreover, self-assessed general health status has been shown to predict mortality independently of other factors and is used in Scotland as a measure of healthy life expectancy, along with limiting longstanding illness4. Whilst there has been no change in 2004 on some of these measures, this chapter has been included to provide context for chapters on specific health issues.
4 Information and Statistics Division Scotland (2004) Healthy Life Expectancy in Scotland. ISD Scotland, Edinburgh.
2.1 Self-reported general health
When asked how they would rate their own health three in four (77%) said it was very or fairly good. This has shown no change over time. As in previous years, self-reported health was worse for older people, those in the lower social grades and those living in the most deprived areas, as illustrated in Figure 2.1.
Figure 2.1 Percentage who feel their health is good by age/social grade/DEPCAT
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Base: all respondents 2004 (1784)
2.2 Long standing illness
For some respondents, self-perceived health is likely to be related to having a long-standing illness or disability. One in three respondents (33%) reported having some form of long-standing illness or disability. There was no consistent pattern of change over time. As in previous years, older people and those in the social grade E were most likely to report a long standing illness (Figure 2.2). It is worth noting that social grade E includes pensioners with no occupational pension.
Figure 2.2 Percentage with long standing illness by age/social grade
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Base: all respondents 2004 (1784)
2.3 Ability to influence own health
In addition to consideration of self-perceived health measures, it is equally important to consider how much control people feel they have over their own health. The perceived ability to influence one’s health is likely to have some impact on future changes in health behaviours, and ultimately on long-term health. In order for any specific health promotion activity to have an impact, it is fundamentally important that people believe that they will be able to influence their own health in order for them to be willing to take on board and act on the message. Indeed, encouraging people to believe that they can influence their health, and the health of their children, has been a central message of many health education campaigns in Scotland.
In 1996, 76% believed that they could do something to make their own life healthier; and this rose steadily over time, reaching 82% in 2004 (Figure 2.3).
Figure 2.3 Time trends in belief that can make their own life healthier (1996-2004)
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Base: all respondents (2004:1784)
In keeping with the other measures, those in social grade E and, in particular, older people were less likely to feel they could do anything to make their own life healthier (Figure 2.4), reflecting the findings in previous years.
Figure 2.4 Percentage who believe they can do something to make their own life healthier by age/social grade
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Base: all respondents 2004 (1784)
Main points
- Three quarters of people felt that their health was good, although around a third reported a long-standing illness or disability and this has not changed over time.
- Most people felt that they could influence their own health and this increased from 76% in 1996 to 82% in 2004.
- As in previous years, those in the lowest social grades and, in particular, older people were least likely to think their health was good, most likely to report a long-standing illness and least likely to feel they have any influence over their own health. This means that those groups most in need of improvements to their health are also likely to be those who are least open to health education messages because they don’t believe they can influence their own health.