State of health of the Dutch population
Explanation of symbols
Table explanation
Health perception, height, obesity, health complaints, physical
limitations, psychosocial complaints by sex, type of insurance,
1981 - 2000
Changed on March 25 2010.
Frequency: Discontinued.
limitations, psychosocial complaints by sex, type of insurance,
1981 - 2000
Changed on March 25 2010.
Frequency: Discontinued.
Description topics
- Average height
- Average height of persons aged 20 yrs and older. Excluding persons
with unknown height and improbable height (shorter than 30cm and
taller than 240 cm).- Age
- 65 yrs and older
- Obesity
- Obesity is based on the Quetelet index: weight in kilos divided by the
square of the height in metres. Excluding persons with unknown height
and/or weight and with improbable weight in relation to height, i.e.
Quetelet index smaller than 14 or greater than 40. kg/m2- % of overweight persons (QI >= 25)
- Percentage of persons aged 20 yrs and older who are overweight
(Quetelet index: equal to or above 25). kg/m2- Age
- 65 yrs and older
- % of obese persons (QI>= 30)
- Percentage of persons aged 20 yrs and older who are seriously
overweight (obese) (Quetelet index: equal to or above 30). kg/m2- Age
- 65 yrs and older
- Frequently occurring health complaints
- Frequent health complaints
Figures about frequent health complaints are based on answers to
the List of Health Complaints (VOEG). Since 1989 the Health
Interview Survey asks questions about 23 complaints which can be
grouped as follows:
- Stomach complaints: stomach upset, stomach troubles, pains in the
stomach region;
- Weariness: insomnia, feeling tired, feeling listless, tiring quickly;
- Nervous complaints: getting upset, feeling nervous, irritable;
- Complaints of chest or heart region: palpitations, tightness in the
chest, pains in the chest or heart region, feeling dizzy;
- Complaints of the musculo-skeletal system: aching bones or
muscles, back-ache, numbness or pins-and-needles in arms or
legs, rheumatism;
- (Allergic) complaints of the upper respiratory system: sneezing fits,
blocked nose, tingling feeling in the nose;
- Coughing;
- Headache.- Age
- 65 yrs and older
- Temporary limitation of activity
- Respondents who, as a result of illness or injury, had to take it easy,
or were unable to undertake an activity they would normally do, on at
least one day in the 14 days preceding the interview are classed as
having temporarily restricted activity.- % pers. with temp. restricted activity
- Percentage of persons aged 1 year and older with temporarily restricted
activity.- Age
- 65 yrs and older
- Education
- Total 16 yrs and older
- Men
- Total 16 yrs and older
- Women
- Total 16 yrs and older
- Number of days temp. restr. activity
- The average number of days per year on which persons aged 1 year and
older experienced temporarily restricted activity. This is calculated by
multiplying the number of days with restricted activity in the 14 days
preceding the interview by 26.- Age
- 65 yrs and older
- Beddays as a result of temp. lim. of act
- Respondents (1 year ond older) who spent at least one day or most
of the day in bed as a result of illness or injury the 14 days preceding
the interview are classed as beddays as a result of temporary limitation
of activity.- % beddays
- Percentage of persons (1 year and older) who have beddays as a
result of temporary limitation of activity.- Age
- 65 yrs and older
- Education
- Total 16 yrs and older
- Men
- Total 16 yrs and older
- Women
- Total 16 yrs and older
- Number of beddays
- The average number of days per year on which persons aged 1 year and
older were beddays as a result of temporary limitation of activity. This
is calculated by multiplying the number of days they were beddays as a
result of temporary limitation of activity in the 14 days preceding the
interview by 26.- Age
- 65 yrs and older
- Chronic conditions
- From 1989 the questionnaire includes the following 23 chronic
conditions:'asthma, chronic bronchitis or chronic a-specific respiratory
diseases, 'periasal, frontal or maxillary sinusitis, 'serious heart
disease or heart attack, 'hypertension, stroke and effects of stroke,
'stomach ulcer/duodenal ulcer, 'disorder of the large or the small bowel
for longer than 3 months, 'gall-stones or inflammation of the
gall-bladder, levercirrhose, 'disease of the liver, liver cirrhosis,
'stones in the kidney, 'serious disease of the kidney, 'chronic cystitis,
'prolapse, 'diabetes mellitus, 'thyroid trouble or goitre, 'chronic
spinal affections for longer than 3 months, slipped disc, 'arhrosis of
knees, hips or hands, 'reumatoïde arthritis, 'athritis of hands or feet,
'other rheumatoid arhritis for longer than 3 months, 'epilepsy,
'dizzyness with falling, 'migraine, 'serious skin disease, 'malignant
neoplasm or cancer.- % persons with chronic complaints
- Age
- 65 yrs and older
- Education
- Total 16 yrs and older
- Men
- Total 16 yrs and older
- Women
- Total 16 yrs and older
- No. of chronic complaints per person
- Average number of chronic complaints per person in the population
of the Netherlands.- Age
- 65 yrs and older
- No. of chronic complaints per patient
- Average number of chronic complaints per person with chronic
complaints.- Age
- 65 yrs and older