Cosmetic Interventions - Survey of Scottish Population

Background and method

Policy context and purpose of the survey

The importance of regulation in the cosmetics industry sector has recently been identified by Sir Bruce Keogh in his 2013 publication of "Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions" for the UK Department of Health. Within these findings, three key areas requiring change were highlighted:

• High quality care with safe products, skilled practitioners and responsible providers;
• Informed and empowered public to ensure people get accurate advice and that the vulnerable are protected
• Accessible redress and resolution in case things go wrong.

In response to the "Keogh Report", the Scottish Government have concluded in their "2020 Vision for Health and Social Care" that a government response is needed to drive improvements in the quality of care provided by cosmetic interventions practitioners in Scotland.

In order to collect the evidence required to support the development of policy regarding cosmetic interventions, the Scottish Government Health Analytical Service Division on behalf of the Planning and Quality Team in the Health and Social Care Directorate General commissioned an online survey to generate baseline data on experiences of cosmetic interventions among the Scottish population.

The main themes of the survey were to be:

• The uptake and current levels of use of a range of cosmetic interventions among the Scottish adult population, including surgical and non-surgical procedures provided outside of the NHS;
• The demographic characteristics of those who choose to undergo cosmetic interventions;
• The consumer experience and any resulting health problems;
• The Scottish public's considerations and intentions for any future cosmetic interventions;
• Whether expectations of procedures have been met.

The results of the survey are intended to provide a basis for informing the development of policy regarding cosmetic interventions. The Scottish Government will share the findings with stakeholders who have a role in assessing these policies.

Method

Between the 20^th and 27^th January 2015, 1,980 Scottish adults aged 18 and over were surveyed online through the YouGov online research panel. The figures in this report have been weighted to be representative by gender, age, region and ethnicity.

Analysis

The report makes reference to the differences between the sub-groups identified below. Of particular interest were: gender; age; education; ethnicity and region within Scotland.

Where the differences between sub-groups are highlighted in the text or with a red circle in the charts they are statistically significant differences that have been tested at the 95% confidence level.

The questions used in the survey had previously undergone qualitative testing for respondent comprehension by stakeholders of the Scottish Government.

Sample breakdown

Table 1: Sample breakdown by demographics