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Annex Two - Analysis of SHS Data Set
Introduction
A2.1 The Scottish Household Survey ( SHS) is a continuous cross-sectional survey. Since 1999, about 15,500 households across Scotland have been interviewed each year. The combined data sets (both main questionnaire and travel diary) for 2003 and 2004 were used for this analysis.
A2.2 The aim of this analysis is to provide some background information on the disabled adult population in Scotland, in terms of general demographics, health issues and participation in social activities. The main focus of the analysis is to examine disabled adults' travel behaviour and travel choices in comparison to adults with long term ( LT) illnesses and non-disabled/ LT ill adults. The following provides a summary of the main findings.
Demographics
Prevalence
A2.3 Just over 9% of Scottish Adults reported experiencing a disability, 10% a LT illness, 3% both a disability and LT illness and 78% neither.
Age
A2.4 Over half of disabled adults 30 (59%) and adults with a LT illness (54%) were over 60 years of age compared to 23% of the non-disabled/ LT ill adult population.
Income
A2.5 Disabled adults (39%) and adults with a LT illness (38%) are more than twice as likely to live in households with an income of £10,000 or less, compared to non-disabled/ LT ill adults (17%). A greater percentage of elderly disabled adults (43%), adults with a LT illness (44%) and non-disabled/ LT ill adults (39%) live in households with incomes of £10,000 or less, compared to their younger counterparts.
Fig A2.1: Distribution of sample according to age group
Marital status
A2.6 Disabled adults (24%) are four times more likely and adults with a LT illness (19%) three times more likely to be widowed compared to non-disabled/ LT ill adults (6%).
Household type
A2.7 Four times as many disabled adults (25%), and over three times as many adults with a LT illness (20%) live as single pensioners compared to non-disabled/ LT ill adults (6%). Twice as many disabled adults (28%) and adults with a LT illness (27%) live in older smaller households 31 compared to non-disabled/ LT ill adults (14%).
Housing tenure
A2.8 Over twice as many disabled adults (43%) and adults with a LT illness (39%) live in local authority or housing association rented properties compared to non-disabled/ LT ill adults (18%).
Driving licence status
A2.9 Some 58% of disabled adults and 52% of adults with a LT illness do not hold a current full driving licence compared to 30% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults.
Household access to cars
A2.10 Some 48% of disabled adults and 45% of adults with a LT illness live in households without access to a car compared to 21% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults.
SHS urban/rural location
A2.11 Comparative numbers of disabled, LT ill and non-disabled/ LT ill adults were observed to live in each of the six SHS urban/rural classification areas, with 71% of disabled adults, 71% of adults with a LT illness and 69% of non-disabled adults living in 'large urban' or other urban areas'.
Fig A2.2: Distribution of sample by SHS urban/rural classification
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation ( SIMD)
A2.12 Disabled adults (30%) and adults with a LT illness (29%) are nearly twice as likely to live in the most deprived areas of Scotland (based on SIMD most deprived quintile area classifications) compared to non-disabled/ LT ill adults (18%).
Health issues
Self perceived health status
A2.13 Half of disabled adults described their health as 'not good' compared to only 4% of adults with a LT illness and non-disabled/ LT ill adults.
Visits to GP
A2.14 0ver 90% of disabled adults had visited their GP in the previous year, compared to 79% of adults with a LT illness and 74% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults. Only slight differences by age were observed in the percentages of disabled and non-disabled/ LT ill adults who had seen their GP, although a greater percentage of elderly adults with a LT illness (82%) reported seeing their GP compared to their younger counterparts (66%).
GP home visits
A2.15 27% of disabled adults had received a home visit from their GP's in the past year, compared to 8% of adults with a LT illness and 6% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults. Elderly disabled (38%), LT ill (15%) and non-disabled/ LT ill (10%) were more likely to have received home visits compared to their younger counterparts.
Affect of disability/ LT illness on daily activities
A2.16 Over three quarters of disabled adults (78%) indicated they experienced difficulties in performing certain daily activities, compared to 56% of adults with a LT illness. The greatest difficulties experienced by disabled adults concern climbing stairs (57%), walking for 10 minutes (54%) and standing for 10 minutes (51%). In comparison, 38% of adults with a LT illness stated they had difficult climbing stairs, 34% walking for 10 minutes and 30% standing for 10 minutes.
A2.17 Twice as many disabled adults reported difficulties using buses (35%), trains (26%), taxis (14%) and cars (13%) compared to adults with a LT illness.
Fig A2.3: percentages of disabled adults and adults with a LT illness experiencing difficulties using transport modes
A2.18 For all activities, a greater percentage of elderly disabled and LT ill adults reported experiencing difficulties with each activity.
Use of mobility aids
15% of disabled adults and 8% of adults with a LT illness use a wheelchair, and 50% of disabled adults and 36% of adults with a LT illness use walking sticks/crutches.
Participation in social activities
A2.19 Disabled adults were less likely to report participating in a range of social activities (i.e. communicating with, visiting, going out with, or having round, friends or relatives) compared to adults with a LT illness, or to non-disabled adults. A greater percentage of elderly disabled adults reported participating in any of the nine social activities, compared to their younger counterparts, except for 'having relatives around' where the pattern was reversed. In contrast elderly adults with a LT illness reported greater participation in all nine social activities compared to younger adults with a LT illness.
Convenience of local services
A2.20 A greater percentage of disabled adults viewed a range of local services (outpatients, doctor's, bank, public transport, chemists, post office and grocery shops) as inconvenient to use compared to adults with a LT illness and non-disabled/ LT ill adults. Almost 20% of disabled adults viewed public transport as inconvenient compared to 14% of adults with a LT illness and non-disabled/ LT ill adults.
A2.21 A greater percentage of elderly disabled adults and adults with a LT illness rated all seven services as inconvenient compared to their younger counterparts.
Travel behaviour
General bus use
A2.22 Around 60% of disabled adults and 55% of adults with a LT illness had not used their local bus services in the past month, although a similar percentage of non-disabled adults (60%) also stated that they had not used local buses (Table A2.1).
A2.23 Elderly disabled adults (63%) were less likely to have used local buses in the previous month compared to younger disabled adults (57%). In comparison younger non-disabled/ LT ill adults were less likely to have used local buses compared to older non-disabled/ LT ill adults and no differences were observed between older and younger LT ill adults in bus use.
A2.24 Bus use was observed to vary between urban/rural locations. A greater number of disabled adults (83%), adults with a LT illness (78%) and non-disabled/ LT ill adults (86%) reported not using their local bus services in remote rural areas compared to disabled adults (50%), adults with a LT illness (45%) and non-disabled/ LT ill adults (43%) living in large urban areas.
A2.25 A greater number of disabled adults (75%), adults with a LT illness (72%) and non-disabled/ LT ill adults (75%) with valid driving licences reported not using their local bus services compared to disabled adults (50%), adults with a LT illness (39%) and non-disabled/ LT ill adults (25%) without driving licences.
A2.26 Disabled adults who use a wheelchair (93%) or a walking stick (72%) were less likely to use bus services compared to the general disabled adult general population (60%), adults with a LT illness (55%) or non-disabled/ LT ill (60%).
Table A2.1: Percentages of respondents not using local bus services in previous month
| Disabled adults | LT ill adults | Non-disabled/ LT ill adults |
|---|
All | < 60 | > 60 | All | < 60 | > 60 | All | < 60 | > 60 |
|---|
All | 60 | 57 | 63 | 55 | 54 | 55 | 60 | 63 | 50 |
|---|
Large urban areas | 50 | 44 | 54 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 47 | 32 |
|---|
By location |
|---|
Other urban areas | 60 | 58 | 62 | 54 | 53 | 55 | 64 | 68 | 51 |
|---|
Small accessible towns | 68 | 69 | 67 | 65 | 63 | 65 | 69 | 72 | 58 |
|---|
Small rural towns | 89 | 86 | 93 | 76 | 69 | 87 | 80 | 83 | 74 |
|---|
Accessible rural areas | 77 | 76 | 80 | 71 | 72 | 68 | 77 | 79 | 71 |
|---|
Remote rural areas | 83 | 83 | 82 | 78 | 75 | 80 | 86 | 86 | 84 |
|---|
By driving licence status |
|---|
Driving licence (yes) | 75 | 76 | 73 | 72 | 74 | 69 | 75 | 77 | 66 |
|---|
Driving licence (no) | 50 | 40 | 57 | 39 | 31 | 45 | 25 | 24 | 27 |
|---|
By use of mobility aid |
|---|
Wheelchair users | 93 | 89 | 94 | 86 | 93 | 83 | NA | NA | NA |
|---|
Walking stick/frame | 72 | 69 | 73 | 73 | 68 | 74 | NA | NA | NA |
|---|
NA = not applicable
Evening bus use
A2.27 87% of disabled adults had not travelled by bus in the evening compared to 82% of adults with a LT illness and 77% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults. Greater percentages of elderly disabled adults (90%), adults with a LT illness (87%) and non-disabled/ LT ill adults (82%) had not travelled by bus in the evening compared to their younger counterparts.
Train use
A2.28 92% of disabled adults did not use a train service in the last month, compared to 89% of adults with a LT illness and 81% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults. Fewer elderly disabled adults (95%), adults with a LT illness (93%) and non-disabled/ LT ill adults (87%) reported using trains compared to their younger counterparts.
Frequency of walking
A2.29 Three fifths of disabled adults (61%) had not made any 'purposeful' walking journeys in the previous week, compared to adults with a LT illness (52%) and non-disabled/ LT ill adults (42%). Elderly disabled adults (66%), adults with a LT illness (57%) and non-disabled/ LT ill adults (44%) reported making fewer purposeful walking trips compared to their younger counterparts.
A2.30 Nearly three quarters of disabled adults (71%) had not made any 'leisure' walking journeys in the previous week, compared adults with a LT illness (61%) and non-disabled/ LT ill adults (52%). Elderly disabled adults (74%) and adults with a LT illness (63%) compared to their younger counterparts.
Analysis of travel diary
A2.31 The travel diary asks people about the trips that they made the previous day. There is a systematic under-recording of trip-making in the SHS diary for all those surveyed - it is thought that respondents generally make an additional .42 trips for every one trip that they report. This under-reporting is not thought to vary amongst sub-groups of respondents, however. (I.e. disabled people are not more likely to under-report their trip making than are other people.)
Trips on previous day
A2.32 Approximately half (49%) of disabled adults did not make any journeys at all on the previous day, compared to 37% of LT ill adults and 25% of non-disabled / LT ill adults. Fewer elderly disabled (59%), LT ill (46%) and non-disabled adults (37%) made any journeys on the previous day, compared to their younger counterparts.
A2.33 The percentage of disabled adults, adults with a LT illness and non-disabled/ LT ill adults not making trips was seen to vary according to SHS urban/rural classifications.
A2.34 Disabled adults (62%) and adults with a LT illness (47%) living in remote rural areas were the least likely to have made any trips on the previous day, and non-disabled/ LT ill adults living in large urban areas (38%) were the least likely not to have made any trips.
A2.35 Some 58% of disabled adults, 46% of adults with a LT illness and 36% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults without driving licences did not make any trips, compared to 38% of disabled adults, 26% of adults with a LT illness and 21% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults who held current driving licences.
Number of trips
A2.36 Overall, disabled adults reported making fewer trips compared to both adults with a LT illness and non-disabled/ LT ill adults. Elderly disabled, LT ill and non disabled/ LT ill adults made fewer trips compared to their younger counterparts.
A2.37 Disabled adults living in all six urban/rural locations made fewer trips compared to adults with a LT illness and non-disabled/ LT ill adults and non-disabled/ LT ill adults. Disabled adults living in remote rural areas made the fewest trips compared to disabled adults living in other locations
A2.38 Disabled adults, adults with a LT illness and non-disabled/ LT ill adults without driving licences made fewer trips compared to those with driving licences
Mode of travel used
A2.39 When considering the trips that were made, only minor variations in the main modes of travel used by disabled adults, adults with a LT illness and non-disabled adults were observed. Over half of disabled adults (52%) adults with a LT illness (55%) and non-disabled/ LT ill adults (53%) travelled by car, 17% of each group walked, about 10% as car passengers and 10% by service bus.
Journey purpose
A2.40 Of those respondents who did make trips on the previous day, only minor variations in the journey purposes of disabled adults, adults with a LT illness and non-disabled/ LT adults were observed. Between 22% and 24% of trips made by all three groups were for shopping purposes, between 22% and 25% travelling to work and about 12% to visit friends/relatives.
Duration of journey
A2.41 No differences were observed in the median journey times of disabled adults and adults with a LT illness (both 16 minutes), although the median duration of journeys made by non-disabled/ LT ill adults was slightly longer (17 minutes).
Distance travelled
A2.42 On average the median distance travelled by disabled adults was 3km compared to adults with a LT illness and non-disabled adults (both 4km).
Travel choices
Reasons for not using buses more generally
A2.43 Nearly half of disabled adults (46%) who were infrequent (less than once per week) or non-users cited health as a reason for not using buses compared to 30% of LT ill adults and only 2% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults. 11% of disabled adults also stated difficulty accessing buses (on/off stairs) as a reason for not using buses, compared to 4% of adults with a LT illness and <1% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults.
A2.44 The percentage of disabled adults citing health reasons and difficulty accessing buses rose with age, with elderly 55% of elderly disabled adults citing health reasons, 13% difficulty accessing buses, 39% of elderly adults with a LT illness citing health reasons and 6% difficulty accessing buses, and 6% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults over 60 years citing health reasons and 1% citing difficulty accessing buses.
Main reason for not using buses more
A2.45 36% of disabled adults, 21% and 21% of adults with a LT illness cited health as the main reason they currently do not use buses more often compared to 1% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults. The percentage of disabled adults citing health as the main reason for not using buses more rose with age, with 42% of disabled adults, 27% of adults with a LT illness and 4% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults over 60 years citing this reason.
A2.46 7% of disabled adults cited difficulty accessing buses as the main reason for not using buses more often, 4% of adults with a LT illness compared to <1 of non-disabled/ LT ill adults. The percentage of respondents citing health as the main reason rose with age, with 42% of disabled adults, 27% of adults with a LT illness and 4% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults citing this reason.
Travel to work
A2.47 Of those adults in FT employment, there were non real differences in the percentages using each mode between disabled adults, adults with a LT illness or non-disabled/ LT ill adults. 53% of disabled adults, 50% of adults with a LT illness and 56% o non-disabled/ LT ill adults drove to work, about 10% of all respondents as passengers and between 12-15% walked. 16% of disabled adults and adults with a LT illness travelled by service bus, compared to 12% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults.
Perceived safety when travelling at night
A2.48 27% of disabled adults, 32% of adult with a LT illness and 19% pf non-disabled adults felt unsafe travelling by bus in the evenings. 28% of disabled adults, 31% of adult with a LT illness and 20% of non-disabled/ LT ill adults felt unsafe travelling by train in the evenings. 32% of disabled adults, 33% of adult with a LT illness and 20% of non-disabled adults felt unsafe walking at night.
A2.49 A greater percentage of elderly disabled adults, adults with a LT illness and non-disabled/ LT ill adults reported feeling unsafe travelling by bus or train in the evening, or walking at night compared to their younger counterparts.
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