The Scottish Health Survey provides 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.  Surveys were undertaken in 1995, 1998 and 2003.  Online versions of the three surveys are available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/scottish-health-survey along with information about the next survey which will start in 2008 and will become continuous.

To become involved in the questionnaire consultation process for the future survey visit:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/scottish-health-survey/Consultation2008

The primary aim of the surveys is to monitor trends in Scotland's health, with a particular focus on heart disease.  The fieldwork covers the whole of Scotland unlike most GB-wide surveys which often exclude the Highlands and Islands. In the past there has been a two-stage interview process to the survey: a personal interview was carried out by a trained interviewer and this was then followed by a nurse visit. The interview covers self assessed health and disability, health service use, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, smoking, drinking, common mental health problems, eating patterns and physical activity, as well as collecting information on a range of indicators of socio-economic position. The nurse asked some further questions, for example on use of prescribed medicines, takes a series of anthropometric and biomedical measurements, including blood pressure, waist and hip circumference and lung function and collects blood and saliva samples.

This is the only national survey which adopts this two-stage approach and the combination of interview based questionnaire with the clinical information collected by the nurse results in potentially powerful source of information. For example, it is possible to look at the link between lifestyle characteristics, health status and physiological function.

With their high response rates, rigorous methods and representative samples, the Scottish Health Surveys are a uniquely rich source of data on health and health-related behaviour in Scotland, and deserve to be widely used.  The Scottish Health Survey team send our regular email updates - to subscribe you need to log on to the ScotStat website - http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/scotstat/Intro - and register your interest in "Health and Community Care". 

Further information on the methods and findings of the surveys are available in the published reports:

Dong W and Erens B (Eds) (1997). Scottish Health Survey 1995 (2 Vols). Edinburgh, The Stationery Office.

Shaw A et al. (Eds) (2000). The Scottish Health Survey 1998 (2 Vols). Edinburgh, The Stationery Office.

Bromley C, Sprogston K, Shelton N (Eds) (2005) The Scottish Health Survey 2003 (4 Vols).  Edinburgh, The Stationary Office.

Data from the three surveys can be downloaded directly from the UK Data Archive's website at:
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/.

Scottish Health Survey User Group
There is a Scottish Health Survey User Group which meets every six months. This was previously convened by Peter Craig but will now be convened by the Scottish Health Survey team.   External members are welcome.  If you would like to come along to this group - please get in touch with :

Julie Ramsay or Emma McCallum
Analytical Services (HD)
Public Health (ASD Health)
Basement Rear, St. Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
0131 244 2368
0131 244 3794
ScottishHealthSurvey@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Research database
There is also a research database available which encompasses Scottish Health Survey records, linked to NHS acute and psychiatric hospital records, cancer, and death registrations.  Information is available for approximately 92% of the Scottish Health Survey respondents who consented to their records being linked in this way, and covers each of the existing surveys carried out in 1995, 1998 & 2003.  A selection of SPSS minimum datasets providing summarised linked morbidity and mortality information up to September 2005 are available on request. It is intended that these files will be updated in the Summer of 2007 to contain follow-up information up to September 2006, with regular annual updates thereafter.  For additional information about this research database contact david.clark@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk .

For further information about the Scottish Health Surveys visit http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/scottish-health-survey