- 1. How did you choose my address?
-
We chose your address from the Postcode Address File using
random selection procedures. This method of selecting addresses
ensures that all households have a chance of being selected and the
findings are representative of Scotland as a whole. The Postcode
Address File is held by the Post Office and is available to the
public.
- 3. Is the study confidential?
-
The Scottish Government and NHS Health Scotland will treat
information you give in strict confidence. The results of the study
will never include any names or addresses. The information
collected is used for statistical and research purposes only and
will be dealt with according to the principles of the 1998 Data
Protection Act.
- 2. Why is this research important?
-
The Scottish Health Survey informs the Scottish Government's and
the NHS's forward planning of health services and development of
health policy. The survey provides an accurate picture of the
health of the nation. Unlike statistics from people in hospital or
those who are in touch with their GP, the results of this survey
reflect the health and lifestyles of different types of people from
all over Scotland. We interview people of different ages and sexes,
from different geographic areas and backgrounds. There is no other
source of information like the Scottish Health Survey.
- 4. Who is carrying out the study?
-
We are conducting the survey with the Department of Epidemiology
and Public Health at University College London and the MRC Social
and Public Health Sciences Unit in Glasgow.
- 5. Tell me more about the organisations that are carrying out the survey
-
ScotCen is a registered charity. This means that like University
College London and the MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit,
we are independent of all government departments and political
parties.
- 6. Did another survey precede the Scottish Health Survey?
-
No. Before the Scottish Health Survey was introduced in 1995
there was no other survey that provided a comprehensive, long term
picture of the health and lifestyles of the population. The
Scottish Health Survey was designed to overcome this lack of
knowledge.
- 7. What are the specific research aims of the survey?
-
The survey aims to: estimate the prevalence of particular health
conditions in Scotland; estimate the prevalence of certain risk
factors associated with these health conditions; document the
pattern of health behaviours related to particular health
conditions; examine the differences between regions and subgroups
of the population in regards to particular health conditions and
risk factors; compare results from the survey with other national
statistics for Scotland and England; monitor trends in the
population's health over time and monitor progress towards national
health targets.
