Wales Council of the Blind

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Benchmarking Conference 2008.

Welsh Health Survey: Health of vision impaired adults in Wales.

Presentation by Sue Leake, Statistical Directorate, Welsh Assembly Government.

Contents:

Background: Welsh Health Survey.

Survey on health and health-related lifestyle of people living in Wales
Started in 2003, runs every year
Provides estimates for Wales as a whole, and for population sub-groups (eg age, sex, social class, local authorities)
Covers approx 15,000 adults and 3,000 children per year
Short interview & self-completion questionnaires
Height & weight measurements for children

Topics.

• Illnesses & other conditions
• Health status
• Smoking (adults)
• Alcohol consumption (adults)
• Fruit & vegetables (adults) / Eating habits (children)
• Physical activity
• Height & weight (body mass index / obesity)
• Health service use
• Socio-demographic info (eg age, sex, geographic area, social class, housing tenure)

Selected key results for all adults, 2007…

Selected illness & conditions:

Eyesight difficulties – 6%
Hearing difficulties – 15%
High blood pressure – 20%
Heart condition** - 9%
Diabetes – 6%
Mental Illness – 9%
Respiratory illness – 14%
Back pain – 12%
Arthritis – 13%

*With the exception of eyesight and hearing difficulties the figures show the percentage of adults who reported currently being treated.

** Excludes high blood pressure.

Health-related lifestyle:

• 24% smoked
• 36% drank above guidelines (20% binge)
• 46% ate 5+ portions fruit & veg
• 29% met physical activity guidelines
• 57% overweight / obese (21% obese)

Selected key results for vision impaired adults, 2004/06…

Eyesight question (adults):

"Is your eyesight good enough to see the face of someone across a room? (With glasses or contact lenses if you usually wear them)”

− Yes
− Yes, with difficulty
− No

Health of Vision Impaired Adults.

Adults who reported being vision impaired:

All vision impaired 6% (Had difficulty, or could not, see face across a room…)
Of which:
Eyesight difficulty 3% (Had difficulty seeing face across a room…)
Severe eyesight difficulty 3% (Could not see face across a room…)

Adults who reported being vision impaired:

  16-44 45-64 65-74 75+ All ages
Male 4 4 5 9 4
Female 5 6 7 16 7

Adults who reported being treated for selected illnesses:

  V.I. % Not V.I. %
  Age-standardised percentages.
High blood pressure 24 19
Heart condition* 14 9
Respiratory illness 20 14
Mental illness 18 9
Arthritis 21 13
Diabetes 10 5
Hearing difficulty** 23 14

*Any heart condition excluding high blood pressure.
**With the exception of hearing difficulty, the figures show the percentage who report currently being treated.

Adults who reported key health-related lifestyle behaviours:

  V.I. % Not V.I. %
  Age-standardised percentages.
Smoker 35 26
Drinks above guidelines 30 36
Binge drinker 17 19
Meets fruit & veg. guidelines 40 42
Meets exercise guidelines 24 31
Overweight or obese 58 55
Obese 22 19

Adults who reported using selected health services:

  V.I. % Not V.I. %
  Age-standardised percentages.
GP 23 16
Outpatients 24 19
Accident/injury* 6 4
Inpatient 13 10
Pharmacist 80 79
Dentist 59 68
Optician 53 46

*Accident, injury or poisoning needing hospital treatment or a visit to casualty.

Further information:

"Health of Vision Impaired Adults in Wales”

Statistical Bulletin,
May 2008

Available at
www.wales.gov.uk/statistics

or via
www.wcb-ccd.org.uk/English/Reports/welsh_health_statistics.htm

Resources.