Health and health care; personal characteristics

Table explanation

Description topics

Self-perceived health

Good or very good

Percentage of persons who answered ꞌgoodꞌ or ꞌvery goodꞌ to the question: ꞌHow do you assess your general state of health?ꞌ / ꞌHow does your child assess his, her general state of health?ꞌ. Parents or caretakers answer this question on behalf of children under the age of 12 years.

Fair

Percentage of persons who answered ‘fair’ to the question: ꞌHow do you assess your general state of health?ꞌ / ꞌHow does your child assess his, her general state of health?ꞌ. Parents or caretakers answer this question on behalf of children under the age of 12 years.

Bad or very bad

Percentage of persons who answered ꞌbadꞌ or ꞌvery badꞌ to the question: ꞌHow do you assess your general state of health?ꞌ / ꞌHow does your child assess his, her general state of health?ꞌ. Parents or caretakers answer this question on behalf of children under the age of 12 years.

Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5),12 plus

The figures relate to the Mental Health Inventory 5 or ꞌMHI-5ꞌ. This is an international standard for a specific measuring of psychological distress, consisting of 5 questions. MHI-5 is actually an extract of ꞌShort Format 36ꞌ (SF-36), an elaborate international standard for measuring health. MHI-5 deals with questions related to how one felt during the last 4 weeks. The following questions were asked:
1. Did you feel very nervous?
2. Were you so down in the dump that nothing could cheer you up?
3. Did you feel calm and quiet?
4. Did you feel depressed and down?
5. Were you happy?

Every question has the following 6 answer categories: all the time, most of the time, often, sometimes, rarely, and never. The answer categories in positively worded questions of the MHI questionnaire (questions 3 and 5) have been consequently awarded the values 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and 0. The answer categories in negatively worded questions (questions 1, 2 ad 4) have been awarded the turned-down values. Next, per person the sum scores have been calculated and multiplied by 4, so that the minimum sum score of a person can be 0 (very unhealthy) and the maximum score 100 (perfectly healthy). A score of 60 or more means that a respondent has no psychological distress.

A score of less than 60 means that a person does have psychological distress.
Until 2023, instead of ‘psychological distress’, the term ‘poor mental health’ was used.

However, researchers at the Trimbos Institute determined in 2024 that the cut-off point of 60 as previously used was no longer sufficient for a number of reasons. The previous determination of the cut-off value of the MHI-5 used a method that depends on the prevalence of mental disorders. Because the prevalence has proven to be variable, this cut-off value is no longer sufficient. Furthermore, the classification of mental disorders has changed since the previous cut-off value determination: the DSM-5 is currently used, while the old cut-off value was based on the criteria of DSM-III-R. More information about recalibration of the MHI can be found in the fact sheet of the Trimbos Institute (see table explanation).

The variable 'Psychological distress, past 4 weeks' will therefore no longer be supplemented from 2024 and from September 2024 CBS will only include the series on the variable Feelings of anxiety or depression, 4 wks (last 4 weeks).

Feelings of anxiety or depression, 4 wks

The percentage of people aged 12 years or older who score 76 or lower on the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) for adolescents aged 12 years and older and adults. These people have had feelings of anxiety or depression in the past 4 weeks.

Psychological distress, past 4 weeks

Percentage of people aged 12 years or older who score less than 60 on the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) for adolescents aged 12 years and older and adults. These people have had psychological distress in the past 4 weeks.

Oral Health

Oral health, 12 years or older

For the years 2019 to 2021, the figures refer to people aged 15 or older. As a result, the figures from before 2022 cannot be compared one-to-one with the figures from 2022 onwards.

Good or very good

Percentage of persons of 12 years or older who answered ‘good’ or ‘very good’ to the question: ‘How do you assess your general state of teeth and gum?’

Fair

Percentage of persons of 12 years or older who answered ‘fair’ to the question: ‘How do you assess your general state of teeth and gum?’

Bad or very bad

Percentage of persons of 12 years or older who answered ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ to the question: ‘How do you assess your general state of teeth and gum?’

Functional problems, 65 years or older

Chewing food

Percentage of the population aged 65 years or older who reported that they had had problems chewing food in the past 12 months.

Swallowing food

Percentage of the population aged 65 years or older who reported having had problems swallowing food in the past 12 months.

Flossing, interdental brushing, 1 year p

Percentage of respondents who indicated that they clean the space between their teeth with dental floss, toothpicks or interdental brushes once a day or more. This question was asked to respondents aged 12 to 18 and adults who indicated that they had at least 1 tooth or molar.
For children aged 1 to 12, parents were asked:
How often does your child clean the space between his/her teeth with dental floss, toothpicks or interdental brushes? Or how often is this done for him/her? The answer options were the same as the answer options for respondents aged 12 or older.

Sleeping problems, 12 years or older

The health survey asks to what extent people have suffered from problems sleeping in the past 2 weeks? This may include difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or waking up too early. The answer options were:
1. Not at all
2. A little
3. Kinda
4. A lot
5. A lot
People who indicated that they had suffered from problems with sleeping were asked to what extent the sleep problems had hindered their daily functioning over the past 2 weeks. This includes: fatigue during the day, functioning at work, carrying out daily tasks, concentration, memory, mood. The answer options were:
1. Not at all
2. A little
3. Kinda
4. A lot
5. A lot

From 2023, the questions about sleep will be asked every 2 years (in even years).

Sleeping problems

Percentage of persons aged 12 years or older that answered ‘somewhat’, ‘much’, ‘very much’ to the question: ‘How much were you bothered by sleeping problems in the last 2 weeks? Think about trouble falling asleep, trouble sleeping through the night, waking up too early.’.

Limited by sleeping problems

Percentage of persons aged 12 years or older who experienced limitations in daily activity due to sleeping problems in last 2 weeks. Persons that answered ‘quite a lot’, ‘a lot’ or ‘very much’ to the question: ‘To what extent have you suffered from sleeping problems in the last 2 weeks?’. Think about trouble falling asleep, trouble sleeping through the night, waking up too early.’. And persons who answered ‘somewhat’, ‘much’, ‘very much’ to the question: ‘How much were you bothered by sleeping problems in the last 2 weeks?

SF-12 health measure, 12 plus

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.

Norm score physical

Standard score physical is determined for persons 12 years of age or older. The standard score physical is a summary physical health measure, which is calculated by means of the answers to the SF-12 questionnaire. The American population was used as the reference group in the development of the norm scores. In 1995, the physical health score for the American population was exactly 50. Mean values below 50 indicate less good physical health than in that standard population (American population 1995) and values above 50 indicate better health. For the Dutch population, the average of the physical norm score is slightly higher than 50.

Norm score Psychological

Psychological norm score is determined for people aged 12 or older. The psychological norm score is a summary psychological health measure, which is calculated by means of the answers to the SF-12 questionnaire. The American population was used as the reference group in the development of the norm scores. In 1995, the psychological health score of the American population was exactly 50. Mean values below 50 indicate less good psychological health than in that standard population (American population 1995) and values above 50 indicate better health. For the Dutch population, the average of the psychological norm score is slightly higher than 50.

Separate items

General health

The following question was asked to respondents aged 12 or older: Overall, what do you think about your health?
1. Excellent
2. Very good
3. Good
4. Moderate
5. Bad
This question is asked in the health survey because it is an item of the SF-12. The question is used to calculate the norm score physically and psychologically. Elsewhere in this Statline table are figures on ‘perceived health; good or very good’. For those figures, use was made of another question with different answer options, namely: How is your health / the health of your child in general?
1. Very good
2. Good
3. OK
4. Bad
5. Very bad

Excellent

Percentage of people aged 12 or older who answered ’excellent’ to the question ’Overall, how do you feel about your health?’

Very good

Percentage of people aged 12 or older who answered ‘very good’ to the question ‘Overall, how do you feel about your health?’

Good

Percentage of people aged 12 or older who answered ‘good’ to the question ’Overall, how do you feel about your health?’

Moderate

Percentage of people aged 12 or older who answered ‘moderate’ to the question ‘Overall, how do you feel about your health?’

Bad

Percentage of people aged 12 or older who answered ’bad’ to the question ’Overall, how do you feel about your health?’

Physical health: less accomplished

The following question was asked to respondents aged 12 or older: When you think about your work or other daily activities, has your physical health helped you achieve less than you would like?
1.Yes
2. No.

Yes

The percentage of people aged 12 or older who answered ‘yes’ to the question ‘When you think about your work or other daily activities, have you accomplished less than you would like because of your physical health?’

No

The percentage of people aged 12 or older who answered ‘no’ to the question ‘When you think about your work or other daily activities, have you accomplished less than you would like because of your physical health?’

Physical health: limited work

The following question was asked to respondents aged 12 or older:
When thinking about your work or other daily activities, were you limited by your physical health in the type of work or activities?
1.Yes
2. No.

Yes

The percentage of people aged 12 or older who answered ‘yes’ to the question ‘When thinking about your work or other daily activities, were you limited by your physical health in the type of work or activities?’

No

The percentage of people aged 12 or older who answered ‘no’ to the question ‘When thinking about your work or other daily activities, were you limited by your physical health in the type of work or activities?’