Ad-hoc modules are carried out as part of SILC each year to complement the variables permanently collected in the survey. The topic for the 2017 ad-hoc module was 'Health and Children's Health' and although the plan is to publish more detailed analysis of the module next year, some high-level results from it are being published with today's core SILC results.
Summary of Main Findings
| Healthcare Coverage Type | With Private Health Insurance Cover | With Medical / GP Card Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 48.48 | 30.53 |
| 2005 | 47.67 | 32 |
| 2006 | 47.21 | 32.21 |
| 2007 | 46.56 | 33.85 |
| 2008 | 47.68 | 35.31 |
| 2009 | 44.9 | 39.72 |
| 2010 | 44.21 | 41.37 |
| 2011 | 42.59 | 44.3 |
| 2012 | 41.19 | 45.37 |
| 2013 | 39.69 | 45.25 |
| 2014 | 40.03 | 43.63 |
| 2015 | 41.7 | 43.98 |
| 2016 | 42.87 | 45.09 |
| 2017 | 43.27 | 45.05 |
Private Health Insurance coverage decreased from 48.5% in 2004 to 39.7% in 2013 and increased again to 43.3% in 2017. This contrasts with medical/GP visit card coverage over the same period which increased from 30.5% in 2004 to 45.4% in 2012 and which stood at 45.1% in 2017.
| Type of Financial Burden | State | Households Without Children | Households With Children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical | 32.29 | 30.46 | 35.29 |
| Dental | 27.41 | 23.83 | 32.54 |
| Cost of Medicines | 34.88 | 35.55 | 33.77 |
In 2017, 32.3% of households where at least one person had a medical examination or treatment in the last 12 months reported that the associated costs were a financial burden. The corresponding rates of households reporting that the associated costs were a financial burden were 27.4% for dental examinations or treatments in the last 12 months and 34.9% for medicines in the last 12 months. For households without children, the rates were 30.5% for medical examinations or treatment, 23.8% for dental examinations or treatment and 35.6% for medicines. This contrasts with households with children where the corresponding rates were 35.3% for medical examinations or treatment, 32.5% for dental examinations or treatment and 33.8% for medicines.
| Self Defined Health Status 16+ | State | With Medical/GP Card | Without Medical/GP Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very Good or Good | 83.03 | 68.92 | 92.93 |
| Fair | 13.56 | 23.97 | 6.25 |
| Bad or Very Bad | 3.41 | 7.11 | 0.82 |
In 2017, 83.0% of all those aged 16 years and over defined their own health status as either “Good” or “Very Good”. The corresponding rates for those with a medical/GP visit card and those without a medical/GP visit card were 68.9% and 92.9% respectively. In 2017, 3.4% of all those aged 16 years and over defined their own health status as either “Bad” or “Very Bad”. The corresponding rates were 7.1% for those with a medical/GP visit card and 0.8% for those without a medical/GP visit card.
| Number of Visits to a GP 16+ | State | With Medical/GP Card | Without Medical / GP Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | 24.35 | 14 | 31.66 |
| 1-2 Times | 36.16 | 27.55 | 42.24 |
| 3-5 times | 23.6 | 29.07 | 19.73 |
| 6-9 Times | 7.92 | 13.91 | 3.7 |
| 10 Times or More | 7.96 | 15.46 | 2.67 |
In 2017, 24.4% of all those aged 16 years and over had no visits to a GP in the last 12 months. The corresponding rates for those with a medical/GP visit card and those without a Medical/GP visit card were 14.0% and 31.7% respectively. In 2017, 8.0% of all those aged 16 years and over have attended a GP ten times or more in the last 12 months compared with 15.5% of those who have a medical/GP visit card and 2.7% of those without a medical/GP visit card.
| Number of Medical/Surgical Consultations 16 + | State | With Medical/GP Card | Without Medical / GP Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | 68.27 | 62.58 | 72.27 |
| 1-2 Times | 21.68 | 24.15 | 19.93 |
| 3 Times or more | 10.05 | 13.26 | 7.79 |
In 2017, 68.3% of those aged 16 years and over required no medical and/or surgical consultation in the past 12 months. Of those aged 16 years and over with a medical/GP visit card, 13.3% had three or more medical/surgical consultations in the past 12 months. This contrasts with 7.8% of those without a medical/GP visit card.
| Consumption of Fruit, Vegetables or Salad | At Least Daily | At Least Weekly | Less than Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|
| State | 87.75 | 10.26 | 1.98 |
| At Risk Of Poverty | 80.72 | 15.34 | 3.93 |
| Not At Risk Of Poverty | 89.04 | 9.34 |
In 2017, 80.7% of individuals aged 16 years and over who were at risk of poverty reported consuming at least one item of fruit, vegetables or salad daily compared with 89.0% of those who were not at risk of poverty. While 2.0% of all individuals aged 16 years and over consume one item of fruit, vegetables or salad less than weekly, the corresponding rates were 3.9% for those who are at risk of poverty and 1.6% for those who were not at risk of poverty.
| Activity At Work | % |
|---|---|
| Mostly Sitting | 38.1 |
| Mostly Standing | 19.9 |
| Mostly Walking or Moderate Physical Effort | 31.6 |
| Mostly Heavy Labour or Physically Demanding Work | 10.4 |
In 2017, approximately two in five (38.1%) of those aged 16 years or older who are working reported that they spend most of their time at work sitting. This compared with less than one in three (31.6%) who reported that they were mostly walking, or engaged in tasks requiring moderate physical effort while 19.9% reported that most of their time at work is spent standing. Lastly, just over one in ten (10.4%) reported that their time at work is spent doing mostly heavy labour or physically demanding work.
*1.7% of responses to this question were missing.
| Hours of Exercise a Week | Mostly Sitting |
|---|---|
| 0 hours a week | 11.96 |
| >0-3 hours a week | 29.46 |
| >3-6 hours a week | 30.31 |
| >6-9 hours a week | 12.84 |
| >9-12 hours a week | 8.92 |
| >12 hours a week | 4.9 |
In 2017, 12.0% of those who spend their time at work “mostly sitting” reported doing no exercise outside of work in a week, while approximately one in three reported that they do either up to 3 hours of exercise (29.5%) or more than 3 and up to 6 hours of exercise (30.3%) outside of work per week. Just over one in eight (12.8%) of those who spend their time at work "mostly sitting" reported doing more than 6 and up to 9 hours of exercise in a week, while a further 8.9% reported doing more than 9 and up to 12 hours of exercise per week. Only 4.9% of those who spend their time at work “mostly sitting” reported doing more than 12 hours of exercise per week outside of work.
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