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Notes for editors

1. The Health Survey for England provides information on adults aged 16 and over, and children aged 0 to 15, living in private households in England. The survey consists of an interview in person, followed by a visit from a nurse, who takes a number of measurements and samples. A total of 8,178 adults (aged 16 and over) and 2,072 children (aged 0 to 15) were interviewed in the 2018 survey. 4,825 adults and 1,103 children had a nurse visit.

   The sample is designed to represent the whole population as accurately as possible within practical constraints, such as time and cost. Consequently, statistics based on the survey are estimates, rather than precise figures, and are subject to a margin of error. The sample who take part in the survey is weighted to provide statistics that are representative of the population. For further details see the Methods report.

2. Self-reported longstanding conditions among adults and children were examined using data from the 2017 and 2018 surveys. Participants were asked, “Do you have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last 12 months or more?”. Those who answered affirmatively were further asked, “What is the matter with you?” and their answers for up to six conditions were recorded verbatim. These were grouped into fourteen categories of the ICD-10, covering infectious and non-communicable diseases of the body and mind. Further details are available in the ‘Longstanding conditions’ topic report.

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