Life style; personal characteristics

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Description topics

Physical activity, 4 years or older

The questions on physical activities were asked to every person aged 4 years or older, and are based upon the so-called ‘Short Questionnaire to Assess Health Enhancing Physical Activity’ (SQUASH). This questionnaire aims to provide a complete view of a person’s physical activity. Frequencies and durations of the following physical activities were asked for:
1. Commuting to work or school by cycle or on foot,
2. Activities at work or in school,
3. Housekeeping activities ,
4. Walking, cycling, gardening and doing odd jobs in spare time,
5. Practicing sports.
From 2017 onwards, Statistics Netherlands publishes the new physical activity guidelines (drawn up by the Dutch Health Council) for people aged 4 years or older.

In order to get a better understanding of the physical activity of young people of 12 years and older, questions relating to physical education were added to the questionnaire starting in 2019. This means that for all children, aged 12 or older attending secondary school, questions about sport and physical education and sport activities organized by school were added. For children from 4 till 12 years, these questions about physical education were already included in the questionnaire.

Because of this, data from 2019 onwards about complying physical activity guidelines are not comparable with data of 2016-2018, especially for young people from 12 years or older.

Physical activity guidelines

The physical activity guidelines were drawn up by the Dutch Health Council at the end of 2017. This new guideline replaces the Dutch Norm of Healthy Exercise, the norm for fitness and the combination norm. Adults should be physically active at moderate intensity for at least two and a half hours every week, spread over several days, such as walking and cycling. In addition, they should perform muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least twice a week. Young people from 4 to 17 years old should be physically active at moderate intensity for at least one hour every day, and they should perform muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least three times a week.
An explanatory note has been published about the 2020 figures on this subject, see table explanation.

Comply with physical activity guidelines

Percentage of people of 4 years or older who comply with the physical activity guidelines. Adults should be physically active at moderate intensity for at least two and a half hours every week, spread over several days, such as walking and cycling. In addition, they should perform muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least twice a week. Young people from 4 to 17 years old should be physically active at moderate intensity for at least one hour every day, and they should perform muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least three times a week.

In order to get a better understanding of the physical activity of young people of 12 years and older, questions relating to physical education were added to the questionnaire starting in 2019. This means that for all children, aged 12 or older attending secondary school, questions about sport and physical education and sport activities organized by school were added. For children from 4 till 12 years, these questions about physical education were already included in the questionnaire.

Because of this, data from 2019 onwards about complying physical activity guidelines are not comparable with data of 2016-2018, especially for young people from 12 years or older.

Sufficiently active moderate intensity

Percentage of people of 4 years or older who are sufficiently active at moderate intensity, such as walking and cycling. Persons aged 18 and over should be physically active at moderate intensity for at least two and a half hours every week, spread over several days. Young people between the ages of 4 and 17 should be physically active at moderate intensity for at least one hour every day.

Sufficient muscle-/bone-strength. activ.

Percentage of people aged 4 years or older who perform sufficient muscle- and bone-strengthening activities. Persons aged 18 and over should perform muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least twice a week. Young people aged 4 to 17 should perform muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least three times a week.

Weekly sporter

Percentage of people of 4 years or older who practise sport at least once a week. From 2016 onwards, the percentage of weekly sporters aged 4 years or older is published.

An explanatory note has been published about the 2020 figures on this subject, see table explanation.

Subscription sports provider

The percentage of persons of 4 years or older that has a subscription to a fitness centre, swimming pool or another provider of sport.

Member sports club

The percentage of persons of 4 years or older that is member of a sports club.

Sexual health, 16 years or older

The questions on sexual health are asked to persons aged 16 years or older.

High risk sexual activity

The percentage of persons of 16 years or older who's last sexual encounter (that must have taken place in the last 12 months) had a high risk. High risk sex is defined as sexual intercourse or anal sex (between a man and a woman or between two men) that takes place without protection (condom) with a partner with whom the person is not in a steady relationship.

Risk unintended pregnancy, 16-49 years

Percentage of women aged 16 to 49 who are at risk of an unintended pregnancy. The risk of an unintended pregnancy occurs if a woman has sex with a man, she or her male partner does not use contraception, she or her partner is not pregnant or trying to become pregnant, she or her partner is not infertile and she or her partner has not been sterilized .
The percentage of women at risk of an unintended pregnancy is too high for the years from 2014 to 2016. The figures for reporting years 2017 and 2018 have therefore not been published. The figures from 2019 are not comparable with the figures from previous years.

HIV-test

The percentage of persons of 16 years or older who have been tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

STD-test (excluding HIV-test)

The percentage of persons of 16 years or older who have been tested for a sexually transmittable disease (STD) other than HIV in the last 12 months.

Use of contraception (pill incl.)16-49

The percentage of the sexually active women aged 16 to 49 years who use contraceptives, such as the contraception pill, condom, IUD, or sterilization. A woman is considered to be sexually active, if she has had sex, with a man, in the last 12 months. As of 2021, the question about contraceptive methods, other than the contraceptive pill, has changed. Where previously it was asked “Do you currently use another method of contraception, for example condoms, a IUD or sterilization?”, with the answer options 'yes', 'no' and 'no answer', from 2021 you will be asked “Do you currently use (any) other contraception?”, with the answer options 'no', 'yes condoms', 'yes, a copper IUD', 'yes, a hormone IUD', 'yes, you have been sterilized', 'yes your partner has been sterilized', 'yes another method' and 'no answer'. Explicitly naming the different methods as an answer option may have resulted in a higher number of yes answers. It is therefore not easy to compare figures on contraceptive use from 2020 and earlier with figures from 2021 and later. From 2023 onwards, questions about sexual activity indicate more clearly that it concerns sex with a man. This makes it clearer that women who have sex with women should answer 'no' to this question. This must be taken into account when interpreting the comparison of the 2023 figures on contraceptive use with previous figures.

Use of contraceptive pill, 16-49 years

For the years 2014-2016 and since 2020: the percentage of women aged 16 to 49 years who use the contraceptive pill. For the years 2017-2019: the percentage of sexually active women aged 16 to 49 years who use the contraceptive pill. Women are sexually active if they have had sex in the last 12 months.

The percentages since 2020 are therefore comparable to the percentages of 2014-2016, but not to those for 2017-2019.

Nutrition, 1 year or older, from 2023

The questions about nutrition are asked to all people aged 1 year or older and cover the consumption of meat and fish, fruit, vegetables, sugary drinks, bread and snacks. The nutritional questions are thoroughly revised in 2023. Therefore the figures on fish, fruit and vegetable consumption for the years before 2023 cannot be compared to those from 2023 onwards.

Food score, health survey

The nutrition score is composed on the basis of partial scores on the following aspects of nutrition: consumption of meat and fish, vegetables, fruit, sugary drinks, brown or wholemeal bread, snacks and (from 12 years) alcohol. The nutritional score ranges from 0 to 10, a higher score indicates that the nutrition on the above aspects is more in line with the Nutrition Center guidelines. The score is divided into three classes.

High

Scores 8 or higher on the nutritional score.

Middle

Scores a 6 or 7 on the nutritional score.

Low

Scores 5 or lower on the nutritional score.

Average nutrition score