Health and health care; personal characteristics, 2014-2021

Table explanation

Description topics

Oral Health

Real teeth and molars, 18 years or older

Average number of real teeth in the upper and lower jaw of people aged 18 years or older.

Chronic disorders

All respondents are asked: ꞌDo you /Does your child have one or more chronic disorders?ꞌ Chronic means (in anticipation) 6 months or longer. Next, 23 disorders and a remainder category 'other disorders' are presented and persons are asked if they had this disorder during the last 12 months. Persons are asked after 3 of these disorders if they ever suffered from it. Besides (more elaborately) is asked after diabetes. Most questions on specific chronic disorders are being asked to persons of all ages. Questions on disorders that do not occur amongst youngsters are posed to persons of 12 years or older.

Disorders in the last 12 months

Chronic diseases/disorders in the last 12 months. Respondents may currently suffer from the disease/disorder or have suffered from it in the last 12 months.

Disorder of the elbow, wrist or hand

Percentage of persons who answered ꞌyesꞌ to the question: ꞌHave you / Has your child suffered from a serious disorder of the elbow, wrist or hand in the last 12 months?'

Technical aids

Persons aged 4 years and over are asked whether they have a hearing aid or a special device for sound reinforcement, whether they wear glasses or contact lenses, or another technical aid for seeing or reading. For children under the age of 12, the questions are answered by the parent / caretaker. Persons aged 12 years and over are asked whether they use mobility aids, anatomical aids, and/or incontinence aids. As of 2018, the question about auditive aids has been changed to Do you / Does your child use a hearing aid? or yes to the question: Do you / Does your child use a special device to amplify the sound of your telephone or television?.

Auditive aids, 4 years and over

Percentage of persons aged 4 years and over who answer yes to the question: Do you / Does your child have a hearing aid? or yes to the question: Do you / Does your child have a special device to amplify the sound of your telephone or television? As of 2018, this question has been changed to: Do you / Does your child use a hearing aid? or yes to the question: Do you / Does your child use a special device to amplify the sound of your telephone or television?.

Medical contacts

Persons are asked if they had contact with their GP, specialist, dentist, dental hygienist, orthodontist, physiotherapist, exercise therapist, psychologist, psychotherapist or psychiatrist, and if he or she is treated by alternative healer. Also, if there were hospital admissions or day care admissions, if people have home care and if they had care abroad. Most questions after medical contacts are asked to persons of all ages. Contacts that do not often occur in the case of children are posed from an older age.

Contact with medical specialist

Contacts with the medical specialist can take place in the outpatient department, in a hospital department, in the emergency department, in a practice outside the hospital or in a private clinic. Contacts with medical specialists during a hospital or day care admission are not taken into account.

% persons with at least 1 contact

Percentage of persons in the population who contacted a GP at least once in the 12 months preceding the interview.

Contacts per person

This figure is the average number of contacts in the 12 months preceding the interview, per person in the population.

In order to prevent distortion as a consequence of bad memory respondents are asked after the number of contacts in the last 4 weeks preceding the interview. In order to calculate the average number of contacts in the 12 months preceding the interview, the number of contacts in 4 weeks is multiplied by 13 (13 periods of 4 weeks make 1 year).

Contacts p.p. with at least 1 contact

This figure is the average number of contacts of persons who in the 12 months preceding the interview at least had contact once.

In order to prevent distortion as a consequence of bad memory respondents are asked after the number of contacts in the last 4 weeks preceding the interview. In order to calculate the average number of contacts in the 12 months preceding the interview, the number of contacts in 4 weeks is multiplied by 13 (13 periods of 4 weeks make 1 year).

Contact with dental hygienist, >=12 yrs

Percentage of persons of 12 years or older in the population who at least once in the 12 months preceding the interview had contact with the dental hygienist.

Contact with orthodontist, >=8 yrs

Percentage of persons of 8 years or older in the population who at least once in the 12 months preceding the interview had contact with the orthodontist.

Contact physio- and exercise therapist

Figures on physiotherapy and exercise therapy. Physiotherapy and exercise therapy during hospital and day care admission are not taken into account.

% persons with at least 1 contact

Percentage of persons in the population who contacted a physio- and exercise therapist at least once in the 12 months preceding the interview.

Contacts per person

This figure is the average number of contacts in the 12 months preceding the interview, per person in the population.

In order to prevent distortion as a consequence of bad memory respondents are asked after the number of contacts in the last 4 weeks preceding the interview. In order to calculate the average number of contacts in the 12 months preceding the interview, the number of contacts in 4 weeks is multiplied by 13 (13 periods of 4 weeks make 1 year).

Contacts p.p. with at least 1 contact

This figure is the average number of contacts of persons who in the 12 months preceding the interview at least had contact once.

In order to prevent distortion as a consequence of bad memory respondents are asked after the number of contacts in the last 4 weeks preceding the interview. In order to calculate the average number of contacts in the 12 months preceding the interview, the number of contacts in 4 weeks is multiplied by 13 (13 periods of 4 weeks make 1 year).

Persons treated by alternative healer

Percentage of persons in the population that claims to have been treated by an alternative healer at least once in the 12 months preceding the interview.

Persons receiving home care

Percentage of persons who receive paid help or care at home because of health problems. E.g. help in housekeeping, personal care, nursing, maternity care, or meal service (such as meals-on-wheels). By paid help is meant help paid by someone him/herself or an authority.

Persons with care abroad

Percentage of persons who in the 12 months preceding the interview used health care in a foreign country (i.e., not in the Netherlands). Examples are use of a GP, medical specialist, hospital or dentist.

Informal care

Informal care is care that a person receives from his or her acquaintances like a partner, friend or child, if this person is chronically ill, in need of help or disabled. Informal care can be keeping house, washing and getting dressed, keeping company, transport, financial matters, etcetera. Informal care is not paid care. A volunteer from a volunteer group is not an informal care giver.

Informal care, 16 years or older

Percentage of persons of 16 years or older receiving informal care

Informal care receiver

Percentage of persons of 16 years or older receiving informal care

Hours of informal care per week

The average number of hours of care received per week by an informal care receiver

Informal care, 55 years or older

Percentage of persons of 55 years or older receiving informal care

Informal care receiver

Percentage of persons of 55 years or older receiving informal care

Hours of informal care per week

The average number of hours of care received per week by an informal care receiver

SF-12 health measure, age 12 or older

The 'Short Format 12' or SF-12 questionnaire is a selection of 12 questions from the SF-36 (Ware et al., 1995 *). The SF-12 is a widely used international standard of a generic health measure. The SF-12 measures eight health aspects, namely physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health problems, physical pain, general health, vitality (energy / fatigue), social functioning, role limitations due to emotional problems and mental health. Based on the 12 questions, two partial scales can be calculated; a summary measure for physical health (norm score physical) and a summary measure for psychological health (norm score psychological).
These norm scores are calculated for people aged 12 or older.
*Ware J.E., Kosinski M., Keller S.D. SF-12: How to score the SF-12 Physical and Mental Health Summary Scales. Boston, MA: The Health Institute, New England Medical Center, Second Edition, 1995.

Separate items

Emotional problem: less carefully

The following question was asked to respondents aged 12 or older:
When you are thinking about your work or other daily activities, have you not done your work or other activities as carefully as you are used to during the past 4 weeks due to an emotional problem (for example, feeling depressed or anxious)?
1.Yes
2. No.

Yes

The percentage of people aged 12 or older who answered 'yes' to the question ‘If you are thinking about your work or other daily activities, did you have an emotional problem (for example, feeling depressed or anxious) in the past 4 weeks not done the work or other activities as carefully as you are used to?'

No

The percentage of people aged 12 or older who answered 'no' to the question 'If you are thinking about your work or other daily activities, did you have an emotional problem (for example, feeling depressed or anxious) in the past 4 weeks not done the work or other activities as carefully as you are used to?'

Calm and peaceful

Respondents aged 12 or older were asked how they have felt in the past 4 weeks:
Would you like to answer each question that best reflects how you have felt?
Did you feel calm and peaceful
1. Constantly
2. Mostly
3. Often
4. Sometimes
5. Rarely
6. Never

Constantly

Percentage of people 12 or older who ‘contstantly’ answer the question ‘Did you feel calm and peaceful?’

Mostly

Percentage of people 12 or older who ‘mostly’ answer the question ‘Did you feel calm and peaceful?’

Often

Percentage of people 12 or older who ‘often’ answer the question ‘Did you feel calm and peaceful?’

Sometimes

Percentage of people 12 or older who ‘sometimes’ answer the question ‘Did you feel calm and peaceful?’

Rarely

Percentage of people 12 or older who ‘rarely’ answer the question ‘Did you feel calm and peaceful?’

Never

Percentage of people 12 or older who ‘never’ answer the question ‘Did you feel calm and peaceful?’

Downhearted and blue

Respondents aged 12 or older were asked how they have felt in the past 4 weeks:
Would you like to answer each question that best reflects how you have felt?
Did you feel downhearted and blue
1. Constantly
2. Mostly
3. Often
4. Sometimes
5. Rarely
6. Never

Constantly

Percentage of people 12 years of age or older who ‘constantly’ answer the question ‘Did you feel downhearted and blue?’

Mostly

Percentage of people 12 years of age or older who ‘mostly’ answer the question ‘Did you feel downhearted and blue?’

Often

Percentage of people 12 years of age or older who ‘often’ answer the question ‘Did you feel downhearted and blue?’

Sometimes

Percentage of people 12 years of age or older who ‘sometimes’ answer the question ‘Did you feel downhearted and blue?’

Rarely

Percentage of people 12 years of age or older who ‘rarely’ answer the question ‘Did you feel downhearted and blue?’

Never

Percentage of people 12 years of age or older who ‘never’ answer the question ‘Did you feel downhearted and blue?’