Which ethnic groups have the poorest health?

1. Executive Summary

This report examines differences in the health of ethnic groups in Scotland and uses census health data to identify variations between groups. The analysis employs age-standardised rates to compare people of similar age, which avoids the often misleading direct comparisons between populations with very different age structures. The analysis revealed the following key findings:

• Most ethnic groups in Scotland reported better health than the 'White: Scottish' ethnic group;
• Across most ethnic groups, older^[1] men reported better health than older women. Older Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women reported poor health, and considerably worse health than older men in these ethnic groups;
• Gypsy/Travellers^[2] in Scotland had by far the worst health, reporting twice the 'White: Scottish' rate of 'health problem or disability'^[3] and over three and a half times the 'White: Scottish' rate of 'poor general health'^[4];
• 'White: Polish' people aged under 65 reported relatively good health, whereas those aged 65 or over reported relatively poor health;
• The age-standardised rates of 'health problem or disability' by ethnic group in Scotland followed a similar pattern to the results for England and Wales;
• Older Bangladeshi men in Scotland were relatively healthier than older Bangladeshi men in England and Wales.