Scotland’s Chief Statistician has released the Scottish Health Survey 2019, providing information on the health, and factors relating to health, of adults and children in Scotland. The Scottish Health Survey is 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.
Physical activity
- 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 2019, the same level as in 2018
- The proportion of children (aged 2–15) who met the recommended physical activity level over the last seven days, was 69%, the lowest level in the time series
Mental health
- Self-reported rates of depression and anxiety continued to increase, with 14 per cent of adults reporting two or more signs of anxiety (compared to 9% in 2008/2009) and 12 per cent reporting two or more signs of depression (compared to 8% in 2008/2009). Seven per cent of adults reported ever having attempted suicide, the highest level recorded (4 per cent in 2008/2009).
- In 2019, 10 per cent of adults reported feeling lonely often or all of the time in the last two weeks. Rates were much higher for younger adults (16 per cent for those aged 16-24) than for older adults (5 per cent for those aged 65-74). Those in the most deprived areas were much more likely to report feeling lonely often or all of the time (17 per cent compared to 6 per cent in the least deprived areas).