Health and Care Experience Survey 2021 to 2022: national results

Annex B. About the Respondents - Demographic & Health Information

A total of 130,352 people responded to the survey. This annex provides a summary of their responses. Unlike the rest of the survey results in this report, this analysis is based on unweighted data.

Age and Gender

More women than men responded to the survey. 57% of responses to the survey were from women and 43% were from men. This compares to the 2020 mid-year population estimates from the National Records of Scotland^[5] which show that 52% of the population aged seventeen and over are female.

Older age groups were more likely to respond to the survey than younger with the majority of respondents being aged 55 or more (64%). This is higher than the 2020 National Records of Scotland mid-year population estimates which show 40% of the population aged 55 or more (based on the population aged 17 and over).

The weighting methodology^[6] attempts to adjust for these differences between the survey and population demographics.

Deprivation and Rurality

Analysis of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD)^[7] and Urban/Rural Indicator^[8] was based on the datazone of respondents postcodes. Response levels were lower in deprived areas, with the most deprived quintile showing a 15% response rate, compared to 32% from the least deprived quintile.

There was a higher response rate from people living in rural areas than urban areas, with remote rural areas showing a response rate of 34% compared with 19% of those living in large urban areas.

A full breakdown responses and demographics can be found in the Technical Report.

Health Information

Respondents were asked if their day-to-day activities were limited because of a health problem or disability which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months. Of those who answered the question:

• 13% responded with "Yes, limited a lot";
• 24% responded with "Yes, limited a little";
• 63% responded with "No".

Just over half of respondents said that they had one or more long-term health conditions. The prevalence of these increased with age, from 39% of respondents aged between 17 and 24, to 61% aged over 65. The most commonly reported conditions were chronic pain lasting at least three months (reported by 16% of respondents) and a mental health condition (reported by 11% of respondents).

People's ability to look after their own health

People were asked how well in general they felt they were able to look after their own health. Most respondents (91%) said that they could look after their own health very well or quite well.