Scottish Government
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Health Secretary comments on survey findings
The Scottish Health Survey published yesterday shows that three-quarters of adults in Scotland rate their health in general to be 'very good' or 'good' while seven per cent rate it as 'bad' or 'very bad'.
Commenting on the figures Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon said:
"For too long Scotland has been seen as the 'sick man of Europe' and these findings published today provide encouraging evidence that, in some areas, people north of the border are beginning to see the link between lifestyle and good health.
"Giving up smoking is one of the best things that anyone can do to improve their health and it is good news that self-reported smoking among adults continues to decrease.
"In addition it is particularly encouraging to see that second-hand smoke exposure in people's homes is also on the decline. The smoke free legislation has led to a shift in cultural attitudes and we are determined to build on this through the forthcoming Tobacco Bill which aims to prevent smoking uptake by children and young people.
"The findings also show that positive steps are being made in increasing levels of physical activity and improving the nation's dental health.
"However, we must not be complacent and this survey also raises areas where change is vital. While it is encouraging that the rate of increase in obesity among children is slowing, there is a great deal still to be done and tackling obesity remains a top priority.
"It is clear that alcohol consumption among a significant proportion of the population is still far too high. The amount that people drink in Scotland has reached worrying levels and is taking a heavy toll on our NHS, police, criminal justice and other services.
"The Scottish Government is investing almost £120 million over three years in tackling alcohol misuse and we've proposed a radical package of measures to change Scotland's unhealthy relationship with alcohol in the longer term."
This is the first report of the Scottish Health Survey since a major review and redesign. The survey is now run on an annual basis and has adopted a core and modular structure. The previous Health Education Population Survey run by NHS Health Scotland is now incorporated as a module of this survey. Results from this module will be published at the end of the year. The survey is designed to produce robust results for all NHS Board areas after four years of data collection.
