Scottish Health Survey reports high levels of food insecurity

The Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen) and the Scottish Government publish the annual Scottish Health Survey today, providing a detailed picture of the health of the Scottish population.

The latest survey was conducted in 2023 and covers topics including mental health and wellbeing, general health, respiratory, dental health, diet and food insecurity, obesity, smoking, alcohol and drugs.

The 2023 Scottish Health Survey results provide a crucial picture of health and wellbeing in Scotland and how this has changed over the past two decades.

• 72% of adults reported their general health to be ‘very good/good’, a figure at the lower end of the range recorded since 2008 (70% – 77%). 
• The vast majority of children reported ‘very good/good’ general health (94%), similar to previous years (93% – 96%).
• Females were more likely to report living with a limiting long-term condition than males (43% and 32% respectively), with the largest difference seen for those aged 45-54 (45% and 29% respectively).
• 14% of all adults reported being unpaid carers, a proportion higher among females (16%) than males (11%).

The 2023 results show an improvement in average mental wellbeing following two years of decline but did not record a return to pre-pandemic levels

• Following two years of decline, average mental wellbeing (measured by mean WEMWBS scores) for adults increased to 48.9, up from 47.0 in 2022 and 48.6 in 2021, still below the 49.8 mean score in 2019.
• Among unpaid carers, mental wellbeing was lower for those providing five or more hours of unpaid care per week (mean WEMWBS scores of 45.1 – 47.6) compared to those providing less than five hours of care (mean of 49.2)
• The proportion of adults with a GHQ-12 score of 4 or more (21%), indicative of a possible psychiatric disorder, returned to a similar level as in 2021 (22%) following an increase to 27% in 2022.  
• One in ten adults (10%) reported feeling lonely ‘most’ or ‘all of the time’, with adults aged 16-24 (19%) and those living in the most deprived areas (14%) the most likely to report feeling like this in the past week. 

There is evidence of a continued decline in the prevalence of hazardous/harmful drinking 

• The prevalence levels fell from 34% in 2003 to 20% in 2023. 
• The proportion of males that drank to hazardous or harmful levels was twice as high as that of females (28% and 14% respectively).
• Except in 2021 (14%), the proportion of adults with an AUDIT score of eight or more (hazardous/harmful drinking or possible alcohol dependency) has remained in the range of 17% – 19% (18% in 2023).
• Adults living in the most deprived areas of Scotland were more likely to record an AUDIT score of eight or more.

The 2023 survey found a significant increase in levels of food insecurity  

• 14% of adults reported experiencing food insecurity, an increase from 9% in 2021 and the highest level since the time series began in 2017. 
• 65% who had worried that they would run out of food in the last 12 months reported below average life satisfaction, more than double the proportion for adults who had reported that they were not worried (31%).

The 2023 report shows the highest levels of adult obesity recorded across the time series

• Almost a third of adults (32%) were living with obesity, while just under a fifth of children (17%) were at risk of obesity, a proportion that has remained in the range 13% – 18% since 1998.
• Two-thirds (66%) of adults were classed as living with overweight (including obesity). This proportion has been relatively stable since 2008 (64% – 67%).

There is a continued rise in vaping, particularly among younger adults

• Younger adults aged 16-24 who were ex-smokers or current smokers who had ever attempted to quit smoking were most likely to have used e-cigarettes or vaping devices in their most recent attempt to stop smoking, 44% compared with 3% of those aged 75 and over.
• Prevalence of current e-cigarette or vaping device use was highest among adults living in the most deprived areas of Scotland (17%), and lowest among those living in the least deprived areas (6%).

Victoria Wilson, Research Director, Scottish Centre for Social Research, says: 

The Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) series has trend data going back over two decades and providing time series data remains an important function of the survey. In the latest survey, positive movement in overall mental wellbeing was recorded, however, the survey highlights the prevalence and impact of food insecurity, as well as continued disparity in health outcomes between those living in the most and least deprived areas. 

For more information please contact:

Emileigh Spurdens, Communications Manager
t:020 7549 8506 e: emileigh.spurdens@natcen.ac.uk

Notes to editors: 

• The Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen) is the Scottish arm of the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), Britain’s largest independent social research organisation. ScotCen aims to promote a better-informed society through high quality social research (https://natcen.ac.uk/ScotCen).
• In 2023, interviews were held in 4,089 households with 4,949 adults (aged 16 and over), and 2,184 children (aged 0-15).
• The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) was developed to enable the measuring of mental wellbeing in the general population. Scores range from 14 to 70 with higher scores indicating greater wellbeing.
• The General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12) scores range from 0-12. Scores of 4 or more are indicative of a possible psychiatric disorder.
• Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): score 0-7: low-risk drinking behaviour, or abstinence; score 8-15: medium level of alcohol problems (sometimes described as hazardous drinking behaviour); score 16-19: high level of alcohol problems (harmful drinking behaviour); score 20 or above: warrants further investigation for possible alcohol dependence.