Glossary

Variation in survey responses by selected characteristics have been presented in this report. A brief description of each is given below, and more detailed information can be found in the glossary of the SHS - Annual Report 2022.

Deprivation: defined by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, which is based on several domains including health, income and access to services. In the SHS, deprivation is grouped into five categories (‘quintiles’).

Education: refers to the highest level of formal education achieved.

Urban-rural classification: refers to the six-fold Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification, which considers both population and accessibility.

Health: refers to a respondent’s self-reported, subjective view of their health, according to five categories ranging from ‘very good’ to ‘very bad’, or ‘don’t know’. Health is presented in this report rather than disability. Both show similar trends, but there is generally a wider variation in survey responses by health than by disability.

Sex: the respondent is asked “What is your sex?”, with possible responses ‘female’, ‘male’ or ‘prefer not to say’. Further information is available at: Sex, gender identity, trans status - data collection and publication: guidance.

Neighbourhood rating: the respondent is asked to rate their neighbourhood as a place to live, according to four categories ranging from ‘very good’ to ‘very poor’, or ‘no opinion’.

‘The outdoors’ in the question ‘Visits to the outdoors’ refers to the outdoors in general, anywhere in Scotland: “open spaces in the countryside as well as in towns and cities, such as woodland, parks, farmland, paths, beaches etc. These leisure trips could either have been taken from home or while you were away from home on holiday, provided the holiday was in Scotland.”

‘Nearest green or blue space’ refers to “public green, blue or open spaces in your local area, for example a park, countryside, wood, play area, canal path, riverside, sea or beach”. Note that private household gardens are excluded.