Scotland and European Health for All (HfA) Database 2009

Background

Following a demand for Scottish data to be included in the World Health Organization's European Health for All (HfA) Database, ScotPHO added Scottish data directly to a download of the European database. The first Scotland and European HfA Database was published in November 2006, followed by an update in June 2007. After that it was decided to update the database every two to three years. This 2009 database is the second update and is based on the January 2009 release of the European HfA Database. Data are presented in a user-friendly, graphical or tabular form, allowing time trend and international comparisons for:

• 600 health and health-related indicators, with Scottish data available for 490 (82%)
• annual data from 1970 to 2007 where available
• Scotland and the 53 Member States currently in the WHO European Region, including the UK, plus averages such as the European Union.

Products available

There are two versions of the database available here:

• Online version This does not allow graphs or tables to be downloaded, but as it is slightly simpler to use than the offline version you may want to use it for an initial quick look to see whether the database is going to provide the information you want. Note that if you are using a Microsoft Internet Explorer browser, version 6 or higher is recommended.
• Offline version (by downloading a compressed 3.1MB .zip file). This is recommended for frequent users of the database, as it may operate faster, and it offers several output options not available online, including the ability to export graphs to Microsoft Word or Powerpoint, and tables to Microsoft Excel, Word or Powerpoint. However, for the offline version you need to be using a PC rather than a Mac computer.

Guidance notes(896KB) (14 pages) on using both the online and offline version include instructions on downloading the offline .zip file.

Short notes (37KB) (3 pages) provide a quick summary of selected findings for Scotland, while briefing notes (588KB) (23 pages) offer more detailed interpretation. Please also read the help notes and definitions provided within the database, as there are important warnings about data quality, comparability and completeness. 

European database 

To access the main European Health for All Database (which includes UK but not Scottish data), please see the WHO/Europe website.