Scottish Health Survey: content review outcomes report

General health and long-term conditions

There was strong support to retain the general health and long-term condition questions.

There were requests from the SG Mental Health Directorate to update the list of long-term conditions, for example to include neurodiverse conditions and learning disabilities. This list is used to code conditions into categories by contractors in the office after the interview – interviewers record respondents answers verbatim during the interview. We have updated the list used to code conditions to include learning difficulty and neurodiverse conditions.

There were also requests to add new questions to the module in relation to endometriosis, including how it was diagnosed, how it was being treated and whether services and support was available/useful. Due to a lack of space in the survey we have not included these, however, we have added a new code to the list used to code long-term conditions ‘menstrual/gynaecological issues (e. g. endometriosis, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, fibroids, heavy menstrual bleeding, severe menstrual pain).’

We have also included a new question about the areas long-term conditions or illnesses affect e. g. vision, memory, mental health. This question was recommended for inclusion in surveys in the Scottish Government’s harmonised questions paper to provide information about how the health conditions or illnesses affect functioning.

For the general health and long-term conditions module with the updated questions see annex 8.