Health, disorders, limitations; sex and age, 2010-2013

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Sex Age Perceived state of health Very good/good (%) Chronic disorders % of persons with disorders % with no chronic disorder (%) MHI, 12 years or older Persons with poor mental health (%) Infectious diseases, 12 years or older Cold (%) Feelings of discomfort, 4 years or older At least 1 feeling of discomfort (%) Functional limitations Limitations OECD, 12 years or older % of persons with at least 1 limitation (%) Functional limitations Limitations ADL, 55 years or older % of persons with at least 1 limitation (%) Functional limitations Use of technical aids Visual aids, 4 years or older (%)
Sex: men Age: 0 to 4 years 94.8 87.6 . . . . . .
Age: 4 to 12 years 95.5 84.5 . . 39.5 . . 9.9
Age: 12 to 16 years 95.8 86.8 7.2 42.7 51.3 5.6 . 21.9
Age: 16 to 20 years 93.5 77.2 7.3 61.8 65.0 3.1 . 23.8
Age: 20 to 30 years 91.8 75.7 8.8 53.2 68.2 2.5 . 29.7
Age: 30 to 40 years 87.9 61.7 8.8 51.0 61.8 2.5 . 35.3
Age: 40 to 50 years 83.6 60.9 10.3 41.5 61.2 9.2 . 57.6
Age: 50 to 55 years 77.9 49.8 7.0 37.3 60.6 12.3 . 87.5
Age: 55 to 65 years 67.0 36.8 11.3 34.6 67.7 17.2 4.1 96.0
Age: 65 to 75 years 67.2 29.8 7.8 31.8 62.5 17.8 6.8 95.9
Age: 75 years or older 59.2 26.5 9.8 32.4 70.5 30.1 17.6 96.0
Sex: women Age: 0 to 4 years 95.6 88.3 . . . . . .
Age: 4 to 12 years 95.3 85.4 . . 40.2 . . 12.5
Age: 12 to 16 years 93.8 73.1 4.5 46.8 66.0 4.7 . 29.5
Age: 16 to 20 years 88.0 56.0 12.3 63.5 87.8 6.5 . 37.6
Age: 20 to 30 years 86.0 55.1 14.5 58.2 82.9 5.5 . 47.8
Age: 30 to 40 years 82.8 50.1 10.7 53.2 80.0 6.4 . 48.4
Age: 40 to 50 years 80.0 44.1 14.2 43.2 76.8 11.5 . 67.6
Age: 50 to 55 years 72.9 34.2 11.2 34.0 77.5 22.4 . 92.7
Age: 55 to 65 years 69.4 30.8 13.5 35.2 74.3 20.7 7.6 97.6
Age: 65 to 75 years 67.3 24.9 11.0 33.2 74.6 18.9 11.1 96.7
Age: 75 years or older 45.0 14.2 17.0 24.5 81.6 43.9 34.8 97.4
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table provides data about the health, chronic disorders and functional limitations of the Dutch population.
It comprises the following aspects:
- perceived state of health
- chronic disorders
- generic health indicator
- mental health and mental complaints
- infectious diseases
- feelings of discomfort
- functional limitations
The data are based on the Health Interview Survey conducted by Statistics Netherlands. They can be broken down by sex and age. The Health Interview Survey is a continuous survey. Its population consists of Dutch residents of all ages in private households.

Data available from 2010 till 2013.

Status of the figures:
The figures in this table are definitive.

Changes as of 15 February 2019
None, the table has been discontinued.

When will new figures be published?
Not applicable. The table is stopped.

Description topics

Perceived state of health
Figures refer to answers to the question:   
‘How do you assess your general state of health?’
Very good/good
Percentage of persons of all ages who answered 'very good' or ‘good’ to the question concerning their general state of health.
Chronic disorders
Refers to 18 diseases and disorders and one category 'other chronic disease or disorder'. Respondents are asked to indicate whether they have suffered from one or more of these diseases/disorders in the last 12months. For 3 of the 18 diseases/disorders they are also asked whether they have ever suffered from them. In addition questions are asked about diabetes.
% of persons with disorders
Percentage of persons who do not currently have and have not had the following disorders in the last 12 months:
-Disorder of the elbow, wrist or hand
-Disorder of the back of the neck or shoulder
-Asthma, chronic bronchitis, COPD
-Stroke, cerebral haemorrhage or cerebral infarction*
-Chronic eczema
-Chronic arthritis
-Abdominal disorders longer than 3 months
-Dizziness with falling*
-Arthrosis of hips or knees*
-Heart condition*
-Myocardial infarction*
-Hypertension*
-Cancer
-Migraine or serious headache
-Incontinence (urine)*
-Psoriasis
-Spinal disorder
-Diabetes
-Constriction of the blood vessels*

*for children <12 years it is assumed they do not have this disorder
% with no chronic disorder
Percentage of persons who do not currently have and have not had the following disorders in the last 12 months:
-Disorder of the elbow, wrist or hand
-Disorder of the back of the neck or shoulder
-Asthma, chronic bronchitis, COPD
-Stroke, cerebral haemorrhage or cerebral infarction*
-Chronic eczema
-Chronic arthritis
-Abdominal disorders longer than 3 months
-Dizziness with falling*
-Arthrosis of hips or knees*
-Heart condition*
-Myocardial infarction*
-Hypertension*
-Cancer
-Migraine or serious headache
-Incontinence (urine)*
-Psoriasis
-Spinal disorder
-Diabetes
-Constriction of the blood vessels*

*for children <12 years it is assumed they do not have this disorder
MHI, 12 years or older
'Mental Health Inventory' (MHI) for adolescents (12 years or older) and adults.
The figures refer to the 'Mental Health Inventory 5' (MHI-5), an international standard for a specific measurement of mental health, consisting of 5 questions. The MHI-5 is an extract from the 'Short Format 36' (SF-36), an international standard for measuring health. All questions refer to the period of 4 weeks preceding the interview.
The following questions were asked:
1. Did you feel very nervous?
2. Were you so down in the dumps that nothing could cheer you up?
3. Did you feel calm and peaceful?
4. Did you feel depressed and down?
5. Were you happy?
Persons with poor mental health
Percentage of persons aged 12 years or older scoring less than 60 in the MHI questionnaire. Possible answers to all questions in the MHI-5 are: 'permanently', 'mostly', 'often', 'sometimes', ‘seldom' and 'never'. The answers to the positive questions (3 and 5) were assigned the values 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and 0 respectively. The answers to the negative questions (1, 2 and 4) were assigned the values 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 respectively. Subsequently, the sum scores per person were calculated and multiplied by 4. Thus, the minimum score is 0 (very unhealthy) and the maximum score is 100 (perfect health). Respondents scoring 60 or more were qualified as healthy, less than 60 as unhealthy.
Infectious diseases, 12 years or older
Refers to seven acute diseases or complaints. Respondents aged 12 years or older are asked
whether they have suffered from any of these diseases/complaints during the last 2 months.
Cold
Percentage of persons aged 12 years or older who answered 'yes' to the question:
‘Have you suffered from a cold, influenza or sinusitis during the last 2 months?’
Feelings of discomfort, 4 years or older
The figures refer to the following 5 questions concerning feelings of discomfort during the last 14 days. Respondents are aged 4 years or older. Possible answers are 'yes' and 'no'.
1 Have you had a headache in the last 14 days?
2 Have you suffered from fatigue in the last 14 days?
3 Have you had insomnia in the last 14 days?
4 Have you had back pain in the last 14 days?
5 Have you had muscle or joint pain in the last 14 days?
At least 1 feeling of discomfort
Percentage of persons aged 4 years or older who answered 'yes' to at least one of the 5 questions on feelings of discomfort.
Functional limitations
Functional limitations (physical) are observed by means of 3 groups of questions:
a. The OECD indicator for persons in the age category 12 years or older
b. The ADL (Activities of Daily Living) indicator for persons in the age category 55 or older.
c. Temporary activity limitations and bed-days for persons of all ages.
Limitations OECD, 12 years or older
The OECD indicator (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) in this table is based on 7 questions:
1. Can you follow a conversation in a group of three or more persons?
(with hearing aid, if needed)
2. Can you have a conversation with one other person? (with hearing aid, if needed)
3. Can you read the small print in the newspaper? (with glasses or
contact lenses, if needed)
4. Can you recognise somebody's face at a distance of 4 metres? (with glasses or
contact lenses, if needed)
5. Can you carry an object of 5 kilogrammes, for instance a shopping bag, over a
distance of 10 metres?
6. Can you bend down from an upright position and pick up something from the floor?
7. Can you walk 400 metres without stopping? (with stick, if needed)
Answer categories to these questions are: 'without difficulty', 'with some difficulty', 'with a lot of difficulty’, 'impossible'. The indicator scores 'yes' if the answer to at least 1 of the 7 questions is: 'with a lot of difficulty’ or 'impossible'. The respondents are persons in the age category 12 years or older.
% of persons with at least 1 limitation
Percentage of persons aged 12 years or older answering 'with a lot of difficulty’ or 'impossible' to at least 1 of the 7 OECD questions.
Limitations ADL, 55 years or older
Limitations according to the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) indicator. This ADL indicator is based on 10 questions with respect to performing the following activities:
1. eating and drinking
2. sitting down in and rising from a chair
3. getting into and out of bed
4. dressing and undressing
5. moving to another room on the same floor
6. walk up and down stairs
7. leaving and entering the house
8. moving outdoors
9. washing face and hands
10. washing whole body
The 4 possible answers to these questions are: 'without difficulty', 'with some difficulty', 'with a lot of difficulty’, 'only with the help of others'. The indicator scores 'yes' if at least one of the answers to the above 10 questions is: 'with a lot of difficulty' or 'only with the help of others'. The questions were put to persons aged 55 years or older.

% of persons with at least 1 limitation
Percentage of persons aged 55 years or older answering 'with a lot of difficulty’ or 'only with the help of others’ to at least 1 of the 10 questions of the ADL indicator.

Use of technical aids
Refers to auditive, visual and anatomic aids, aids to enhance mobility and aids to control incontinence.
Visual aids, 4 years or older
Percentage of persons aged 4 years or older who answered 'yes' to the question:
‘Do you sometimes wear glasses or contact lenses?’ or 'yes' to the question: ‘Do you have any other visual aid?’