Respondents are asked whether they have a longstanding illness, disability or infirmity*. This question has been included in the GHS in its present form since 1972. Those who report a longstanding illness are then asked if this limits their activities in any way. This question has been asked since 1973. The data include both adults and children.

In 2001, 32% reported a longstanding condition, while 19% said they had a condition which limited their activities in some way.

The prevalence of reported longstanding illness increased over the last three decades of the GHS from 21% in 1972 to 32% in 2001. The likelihood of reporting a longstanding illness increased steadily through the 1970s and early 1980s, and then ranged from 30% in 1985 to 35% in 1996, with no clear pattern over time. From 1998 to 2001, however, the proportion reporting longstanding illness has remained broadly unchanged.

The prevalence of limiting longstanding conditions has increased in line with longstanding conditions and has shown similar variations, although the overall increase has been smaller. In 1972, 15% reported a limiting condition compared with 19% in 2001. Between the 1970s and 2001 the proportion of children aged 0 to 4 and 5 to 15 who were reported to have a limiting longstanding illness has almost doubled from 2% to 4% for 0 to 4 year olds and 5% to 8% for 5 to 15 year olds.

In 2001, as in all previous years, the likelihood of reporting a chronic condition, whether limiting or otherwise, increased with age.

• The prevalence of longstanding illness, disabilities or infirmities increased from 14% of those aged under five to 63% of those aged 75 and over.
• The increase in prevalence was particularly marked among those aged 45 or over. Whereas one in five respondents aged under 45 reported a longstanding illness, nearly half of respondents aged 45 and over did so.
• The proportion reporting a limiting condition increased from 4% of children aged under 5 to 46% of adults in the 75 and over age group.
• One in ten respondents under the age of 45 reported a limiting longstanding illness, compared with nearly a third of older respondents.

It should be noted that these reports of chronic sickness are based on respondent’s own assessments, therefore increases in the prevalence may reflect increased expectations which people have about their health as well as changes in the actual prevalence of sickness. A possible contributory factor is an increase in the absolute numbers of people with severe chronic conditions who are surviving now compared with the past, perhaps due to new treatments or the wider application of successful treatments. It should also be remembered that people vary in the extent to which they are troubled by the same symptoms, and that their

need to limit activities will also depend on what they usually do.

Findings from other surveys have also suggested that older people are more likely to under-report chronic conditions. This is perhaps because they regard limitations in their daily activities as a normal part of growing old and not as evidence of illness or disability. A report from the 1998 GHS ‘People aged 65 and over’, discusses how the GHS data is likely to under-estimate the incidence of longstanding conditions among older people.

Overall, there were no statistically significant differences between men and women in the reported prevalence of longstanding or limiting longstanding illness, but there was a higher reported prevalence of longstanding illness among boys compared with girls. Among boys, 17% of those aged less than five and 20% aged 5 to 15 were reported to have a longstanding illness compared with 12% and 16% of girls respectively.

Table 7.1, Figure 7A

*Respondents are asked ‘Do you have any longstanding illness, disability or infirmity? By longstanding, I mean anything that has troubled you over a period of time or that is likely to affect you over a period of time?’ It is left to the respondent to define what is meant by long-standing illness, disability or infirmity.