A third of adults (34 per cent) reported difficulties when visiting the dentist, according to the Scottish Health Survey 2023. This has increased since 2019 (20 per cent) and 2021 (23 per cent), returning to a similar level to 2009 (35 per cent).

The survey results provide information on the health and factors relating to the health of adults and children in Scotland.

Almost a third of adults (32 per cent) were living with obesity in 2023, an increase from 24 per cent in 2003, making it the highest level on record.

The survey also revealed that over a fifth of younger adults were using e-cigarettes or vaping. Twelve per cent of adults were current e-cigarette or vaping device users, an increase from 10 per cent in 2022. The proportion was highest for adults aged 16 to 24 (22 per cent).

Around one in seven (15 per cent) adults were current smokers, the same proportion as in 2022.

However, drinking at hazardous or harmful levels has continued to decrease, from 34 per cent of adults in 2003 to 20 per cent in 2023. The proportion of males that drank to hazardous or harmful levels was twice as high as that of females (28 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively).

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