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CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY
Policy background
1.1 Experts agree that adults should accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week. The benefits of physical activity include:
- a longer life
- less risk of developing many diseases
- greater wellbeing
- fewer symptoms of depression
- lower rates of smoking and substance misuse
- ability to function better at work and home. 7
1.2 However, there is great deal of evidence that most people in Scotland are not sufficiently active and that this is a significant factor in the nation's poor health record. For example, the 2003 Scottish Health Survey found that only 38% of adults 8 met the recommended levels of activity. 9
1.3 The Tourism, Culture and Sport division of the Scottish Executive commissioned a module of questions in the January/February 2006 and the April/May 2006 waves of Ipsos MORI's Scottish Social Policy Monitor. The questions examine the public's participation in sport, exercise and physical activity 10, barriers to participation, and their attitudes towards sport and physical activity. The research will inform policies aimed at increasing the proportion of the Scottish population who exercise regularly.
Methodology
1.4 The Scottish Social Policy Monitor is a multi-client survey carried out in-home among a random sample of adults across Scotland. The interviews are conducted face-to-face using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing ( CAPI). The total number of respondents was 2,077 and fieldwork was conducted in two waves between January and June 2006. 11
1.5 The data were weighted to reflect the age and sex profile of the Scottish population and the geographical distribution across local authorities.
1.6 Where percentages do not sum to 100%, this may be due to computer rounding, the exclusion of 'don't know' categories or multiple answers. Throughout the report, an asterisk (*) denotes any value of less than half of one per cent. Only statistically significant differences 12 have been commented on.
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