Scottish Health Survey 2017: summary report

Chapter 6: Diet

Both adults and children have increased the number of portions of fruit and vegetables they eat a day

• In 2017, as in previous years, mean fruit and vegetable consumption per day was higher among women (3.5 portions) than men (3.2 portions).

consumed non-prescription vitamins or mineral supplements

Women were more likely than men to take vitamins or mineral supplements

• One in five adults (19%) and children (20%) consumed a supplement containing vitamin D.
• Supplements containing folic acid were consumed by 7% of women (aged 16-49) in 2017.
• Around one in four people (24-25%) living in the two most deprived quintile areas reported current consumption of any form of supplement compared with around one in three (30-34%) of those living in the three least deprived quintile areas.

8% of adults experienced food insecurity in 2017 (as defined by being worried during the past 12 months that they would run out of food due to lack of money or resources)

The household types most likely to have worried during the previous 12 months that they would run out of food due to a lack of money or resources were:

• Worrying about running out of food was more common among those living in the most deprived areas (18% compared with 3% living in the least deprived areas).
• Households with one or two adults, at least one of whom is aged 65 or over, with no children were the least likely to report worrying about running out of food (1-2%).