scotPHO introduction:
  Alcohol
  Diet & Nutrition
  Drugs
  Multiple Risk Factors
  Physical Activity
Key points
  Introduction
  Policy context
  Data
  Key data sources
  Key references and evidence
  Useful links
  Sexual Health
  Tobacco Use
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Physical activity: key points

Public health implications

  • Regular physical activity of at least moderate intensity provides general health benefits across a range of diseases and across all ages.
  • The greatest health benefits occur when the least active people become moderately active.
  • The national physical activity strategy for Scotland, Let's make Scotland more active, was published in February 2003 and contains recommendations aimed at increasing activity levels.
  • In 2008, a Review Group carried out a Five year review of Let's make Scotland more active. Findings were published in 2009 and concluded that Let's make Scotland more active remains an essential strategy to influence Scotland's inactive population and found no evidence to suggest that the strategy should be substantially revised and therefore endorsed the continuation of the strategy for the next five 5 years (2008-2013). An update statement was released in 2010 following publication of the 2008 Scottish Health Survey results.
  • The Physical Activity and Health Alliance, formed in 2006, is an initiative that aims to support physical activity and health practitioners in Scotland in the implementation of the national physical activity strategy.

Activity estimates from surveys in Scotland

  • An estimated 45% of men and 33% of women aged 16 years and over were achieving the recommended level of physical activity for adults in 2008.
  • The proportion of adults meeting the  recommendations has increased significantly over both the short term (2003-2008) and the long term (1998-2008).
  • The proportion of women in Scotland (aged 16 to 74) meeting the recommendations increased from 29% in 1998 to 32% in 2003 and 35% in 2008. The proportion of men in Scotland (aged 16 to 74) meeting the recommendations increased from 40% in 1998 to 42% in 2003 and 46% in 2008.
  • An estimated 72% of boys and 56% of girls in Scotland were achieving the recommended level of physical activity for children in 2008.
  • The proportion of children (aged 2 to 15) meeting the physical activity recommendations has not changed over the longer term (1998-2008), but it has reduced significantly in the five years from 2003 to 2008 (69% compared with 64%).
  • A higher percentage of adults in Scotland achieved the recommended level of physical activity compared to England in 2008.
  • Scotland compares favourably to other European Union countries in terms of the percentage of boys achieving the recommended level of physical activity for children, but girls do not compare as favourably to over half of the other European countries.

 

 Section updates:

  • The last major update of this section was completed in February 2010.
  • The next major update is due to be carried out by end March 2011.