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Scottish Health Survey 1995: Volume 1

Editors’ Acknowledgements

The editors would like to thank all those who contributed to the success of the 1995 Scottish Health Survey. Our greatest thanks go to those who gave up their time to be interviewed and who welcomed interviewers and nurses into their homes.

We would also like to acknowledge our debt to:

• The chapter authors: Lualhati Bost, Kavita Deepchand, Patricia Fitzsimons, Vasant Hirani, Andrea Nove, Paola Primatesta, Susan Purdon, Andrew Shaw, Rachel Turner, David Thurnham and Sara Walsh
• Other research colleagues, in particular Professor Michael Marmot, Dr Neil Poulter, Dr James Repper, Rebecca Gray, Trish Prescott-Clarke and Rachel Tucker
• The interviewers and nurses and other fieldwork staff, especially Loretta Curtis, Sharon Bishop, Kerrie Stuart, Jenny Jeffrey and Yetta Goran
• The staff responsible for programming and data preparation, in particular Iain Templeton and Marian Bolden
• Staff at the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at West Middlesex University Hospital, the Nicotine Laboratory at the Poisons Unit (New Cross Hospital), and the School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster at Coleraine for analysing the blood samples; and staff at the seven hospital laboratories in Scotland for initial processing of the vitamin samples
• The secretarial staff who produced the report and the survey documents
• Last, but certainly not least, staff from the Scottish Office Department of Health who advised and supported us at all stages, in particular Anne Corbett and Dr Pat Madden. We also would like to acknowledge the valuable contribution made by Dr Vera Carstairs throughout the project.

FOREWORD

This report is the outcome of the first Scottish Health Survey. It was commissioned by the Scottish Office Department of Health and carried out by the Joint Health Surveys Unit of Social and Community Hanning Research and the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College, London. It is intended that the Survey should be repeated every three years.

Sound information about the population's health is essential to assist policy formulation and the development of new initiatives. This new Survey, of a nationally representative sample of adults in the 16-64 age group, provides us now, for the first time, with detailed information on the prevalence of a number of specific health conditions - and their associated risk factors - and the socio-demographic characteristics of the Survey respondents. It also supplies further clear evidence of the adverse impact on health of our eating habits, our smoking and drinking behaviours and our reluctance to take enough physical exercise. Subsequent Surveys, which, it is proposed, should extend to other population groups, will further enhance this information.

I warmly welcome, therefore, this new and important Survey and first Report and would especially like to thank the Survey respondents who gave of their valuable time to participate. The outcome is a wealth of data which will make a vital contribution to our knowledge and to the development of policies for improving health in Scotland.

SIR DAVID CARTER
Chief Medical Officer

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