THE Scottish health survey for 2010 has revealed that more children are exercising regularly.
Last year 72% of children were active for at least 60 minutes a day. Girls in particular have embraced physical activity, with 6% more taking part than in 2008.
However, just 39% of adults met the physical activity recommendations with men more likely to meet them than women (45% compared with 33%). Which means the government has some way to go to meet their target of 50% by 2022.
Overall three quarters of adults described their health as ‘good’ or ‘very good’ in 2010.
Fewer men and women are drinking more than the weekly recommended amount, with a drop of 6% to 27% for men and 5% to just 18% for women.
Those drinking to excess on a daily basis rose by 2% between 2003 and 2010 to 45% for men but women experiences a 4% decrease to 33% over the same time period.
Smoking
The sharp decrease in non-smokers’ exposure to second-hand smoke seen in the decade between 1998 and 2008 was maintained in 2010. Non-smokers’ exposure to second-hand smoke in the home has fallen from 18% in 1998 for both sexes to 9% for men and 8% for women in 2010.
The stats revealed that children living in a household in which at least one person smoked indoors regularly were almost twice as likely to have doctor-diagnosed asthma as children living in households where no-one smoked indoors, at 19% versus 11% and that 14% of adults aged 16 and over and 13% of children had doctor-diagnosed asthma in 2008/2010.
The government target of 90% of adults to have all or some of their natural teeth was narrowly missed.
Last year 89% of adults had at least some of their own teeth, with the figure at 91% for men and 88% for women.
In the 55-74 age group the target was smashed by 14%, with 79% meeting the criteria.
Obesity
There has been no significant change in the proportion of adults or children consuming the recommended daily intake of five or more portions of fruit and vegetables. Just 20% of men, 23% of women, 12%of boys and 13% of girls did so in 2010.
There has been a further in adults classed as obese or very obese. 65.1% of Scots are now classed as obese, with 28.2% falling in the very obese category.
Children are also suffering weight problems, with 34% of boys and 30.9% of girls falling outwith the recommended BMI range.
Around 20% of men and 16.7% of women reported having a cardiovascular condition or diabetes in 2010. Prevalence has increased for men since 1995 but there has been no clear trend for women.
