Key findings
Overweight and obesity
- 67% of men and 60% of women in England were overweight. This included 26% of men and 29% of women who were obese.
- In 2018, 28% of children aged 2 to 15 in England were overweight or obese, including 15% who were obese.
- Children’s overweight and obesity was associated with that of their parents.
Fruit and vegetable consumption
- 28% of adults ate five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
- 18% of children aged between 5 and 15 ate five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
Smoking
- In 2018, 17% of adults were current smokers of cigarettes.
- 6% of adults were current users of e-cigarettes.
- The proportion of children aged 8 to 15 who had ever smoked has decreased from 19% in 1997 to 4% in 2018.
- 7% of 8- to 15-year-olds had used an e-cigarette.
Alcohol consumption
- In 2018, 30% of men and 14% of women drank at increased or higher risk of harm (more than 14 units per week).
- 31% of children aged 13 to 15 reported having ever had a proper alcoholic drink. Small proportions of younger children had tried drinking: 3% aged 8 to 10 and 6% aged 11 to 12.
Problem gambling
- In 2018, 54% of adults had participated in some form of gambling activity during the previous 12 months.
- Using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), 0.4% of adults were identified as problem gamblers and a further 3.6% as at-risk gamblers.
Adult health
- The proportion of adults with untreated hypertension (high blood pressure) decreased from 2003 to 2018 for both men (20% to 13%) and women (16% to 10%).
- Among adults whose blood was tested, more men (9%) than women (7%) were found to have diabetes (either diabetes diagnosed by a doctor or undiagnosed diabetes indicated by a blood level of glycated haemoglobin of 48mmol/mol or above).
Health status
- In 2018, 41% of adults reported no health problems across the five dimensions of the EQ-5D instrument (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain or discomfort, and anxiety or depression).
- More men (44%) than women (39%) reported no health problems.
Longstanding conditions
- 43% of adults aged 16 and over had at least one longstanding condition, most commonly conditions of the musculoskeletal system (17%).
- Longstanding conditions were less prevalent among children than adults, varying with age from 7% of infants aged 0 to 1 to 20% of children aged 10 to 15.
Asthma
- In 2018, 17% of men and 18% of women had ever had asthma diagnosed. This included 11% of men and 9% of women who currently had asthma.
- In children more boys than girls had diagnosed asthma (12% and 7% respectively).
Social care for older adults
- 19% of men and 28% of women aged 65 and over had some unmet need with at least one ADL, and 12% and 15% respectively needed help with at least one IADL.
Download the HSE 2018 Summary report here.