Description:
This indicator measures the proportion of adults (aged 16+) meeting the latest physical activity recommendations.
Source of Data:
The data for this indicator comes from the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS).
SHeS provides a detailed picture of the health of the Scottish population in private households and SHeS data is published on the Scottish Government website, here Scottish Health Survey - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Definitions:
Revised guidelines on physical activity were introduced by the Chief Medical Officers of each of the four UK countries in July 2011. The previous recommended level of activity for adults was that they should do at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week (i.e. at least 5). The new activity guidelines advises adults accumulate 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week or an equivalent combination of both, in bouts of 10 minutes or more. These guidelines are referred to as the Moderate or Vigorous Physical Activity guidelines (MVPA). To help assess adherence to this guideline, the intensity level of activities mentioned by SHeS participants was estimated. Activities of low intensity, and activities of less than 10 minutes duration, were not included in the assessment.
Criteria for Change:
This evaluation is based on: An annual change in the percentage of adults meeting the physical activity recommendations which is significant at the 95% confidence limit.