Characteristics of the 1995, 1998, 2003 and 2008 Scottish Health Surveys
| Scottish Health Survey | ||||
| 1995 | 1998 | 2003 | 2008 | |
| Sample size, n | 6910 | 6656 | 5497 | 4202 |
| Mean age (SD) | 43.3 (11.6) | 43.8 (11.3) | 45.3 (10.9) | 46.0 (11.0) |
| Gender, n (%) | ||||
| Men | 3049 (44.1) | 2969 (44.6) | 2437 (44.3) | 1839 (43.8) |
| Women | 3861 (55.9) | 3687 (55.4) | 3060 (55.7) | 2363 (56.2) |
| Ethnicity, n (%) | ||||
| White | 6852 (99.2) | 6571 (98.7) | 5357 (97.5) | 4066 (96.8) |
| Other | 55 (0.8) | 70 (1.1) | 103 (1.9) | 117 (2.8) |
| Missing | 3 (0.0) | 15 (0.2) | 37 (0.7) | 19 (0.5) |
| Cigarette smoking, n (%) | ||||
| Non-smoker | 4379 (63.4) | 4231 (63.6) | 3786 (68.9) | 3038 (72.3) |
| Current smoker | 2531 (36.6) | 2417 (36.3) | 1687 (30.7) | 1155 (27.5) |
| Missing | 8 (0.1) | 24 (0.4) | 9 (0.2) | |
| Alcohol, n (%)* | ||||
| ≤ Weekly limits | – | – | 3805 (69.2) | 3122 (74.3) |
| > Weekly limits | – | – | 1647 (30.0) | 1052 (25.0) |
| Missing | 45 (0.8) | 28 (0.7) | ||
| Physical activity, n (%)† | ||||
| ≥5 times a week | – | 2266 (34.0) | 2066 (37.6) | 1726 (41.1) |
| <5 times a week | – | 4381 (65.8) | 3417 (62.2) | 2469 (58.8) |
| Missing | 9 (0.1) | 14 (0.3) | 7 (0.2) | |
| Fruit or vegetables, n (%) | ||||
| ≥5 portions a day | – | – | 1296 (23.6) | 1031 (24.5) |
| <5 portions a day | – | – | 3689 (67.1) | 2829 (67.3) |
| Missing | 512 (9.3) | 342 (8.1) | ||
| Salt use, n (%)‡ | ||||
| Don't add/taste first | 4771 (69.0) | 4614 (69.3) | 4190 (76.2) | 1210 (82.8) |
| Add without tasting | 2138 (30.9) | 2035 (30.6) | 1286 (23.4) | 252 (17.2) |
| Missing | 1 (0.0) | 7 (0.1) | 21 (0.4) | – |
| Diabetes, n (%)§ | ||||
| No | 6771 (98.0) | 6501 (97.7) | 5349 (97.3) | 4051 (96.4) |
| Yes | 132 (1.9) | 155 (2.3) | 147 (2.7) | 151 (3.6) |
| Missing | 7 (0.1) | – | 1 (0.0) | – |
| Hypertension, n (%)§ | ||||
| No | 5703 (82.5) | 5526 (83.0) | 4422 (80.4) | 3291 (78.3) |
| Yes | 1142 (16.5) | 1122 (16.9) | 1058 (19.2) | 908 (21.6) |
| Missing | 65 (0.9) | 8 (0.1) | 17 (0.3) | 3 (0.1) |
| Social class, n (%) | ||||
| I Professional | 297 (4.3) | 280 (4.2) | 316 (5.7) | 225 (5.4) |
| II Managerial | 1644 (23.8) | 1696 (25.5) | 1646 (29.9) | 1232 (29.3) |
| III NM Skilled non-manual | 1534 (22.2) | 1404 (21.1) | 1125 (20.5) | 889 (21.2) |
| III M Skilled manual | 1424 (20.6) | 1348 (20.3) | 984 (17.9) | 773 (18.4) |
| IV Semiskilled manual | 1111 (16.1) | 1177 (17.7) | 939 (17.1) | 703 (16.7) |
| V Unskilled manual | 575 (8.3) | 468 (7.0) | 320 (5.8) | 253 (6.0) |
| Other (armed forces, unknown) | 325 (4.7) | 283 (4.3) | 167 (3.0) | 127 (3.0) |
| Education, n (%) | ||||
| Level 3 degree level or above | 1793 (25.9) | 1727 (25.9) | 1482 (27.0) | 1177 (28.0) |
| Level 2 intermediate | 1043 (15.1) | 1209 (18.2) | 1070 (19.5) | 1046 (24.9) |
| Level 1 end of compulsory schooling | 1839 (26.6) | 1723 (25.9) | 1641 (29.9) | 1156 (27.5) |
| No qualifications | 2226 (32.2) | 1978 (29.7) | 1274 (23.2) | 802 (19.1) |
| Other qualifications or missing | 9 (0.1) | 19 (0.3) | 30 (0.5) | 21 (0.5) |
Samples were restricted to 25–64-year-old respondents.
↵* Recommended weekly limits ≤21 units/week for men, ≤14 units/week for women.
↵† Recommended physical activity limits ≥30 min moderate activity five times per week.
↵‡ A subsample of participants was asked this question in 2008. Sample size=1462 (34.8% of total sample).
↵§ Self-reported doctor-diagnosed.