Press Release 18/02/2021

HEALTH OVERVIEW. 2021

In the Basque Country, women lead a healthier lifestyle than men, with the exception of physical exercise

The consumption of tobacco and alcohol and other behaviours that pose health risks have fallen

Women living in the Basque Country lead healthier lifestyles than men, with the exception of physical exercise, and their life expectancy at birth is 6 years more than that of men.

These data are included in the “Health Overview” for 2021, the third published by Eustat with the objective of synthesising more relevant statistical information on health. It is structured around six thematic areas: state of health, healthy lifestyle habits, preventive practices, treatment of health problems, healthcare resources and health expenditure.

Disability-free life expectancy is higher among Basque women, but the gap has closed by 2 years

In 2019, life expectancy at birth reached 80.8 years among men and 86.4 among women in the Basque Country, values above the EU-28 average. The difference in life expectancy in favour of women has been consistent over time, but it has been declining in recent years, falling to 5.8 years in 2019.

In terms of the number of disability-free years, the difference between genders is lower, at 72.8 years for women and 70.5 for men.

When measuring quality of life in relation to health, pain and/or discomfort is the dimension that women (33%) and men (24%) claim to suffer most frequently. This is followed by anxiety and depression, mobility problems and difficulty performing daily activities. Symptoms of depression or anxiety, which have fallen compared to previous periods, are more common among women (17%) than among men (9%) and become exacerbated with age.

Chronic illnesses also affect women (46%) more than men (42%). Older persons are at a higher risk; in fact, 93% of the 75 and over age group suffer from one such illness. High blood pressure and high cholesterol, the main cardiovascular risk factors, are the most common chronic problems.

Chronic limitations on activities that are normal for people in good health is more common among women (11%) than men (9%), and significantly increases with age, to the point that it affects almost 1 in every 3 people aged 75 and over.

The consumption of tobacco and alcohol and other behaviours that pose health risks have fallen, and women lead healthier lifestyles than men, except with regard to physical exercise

Smoking has declined by 22% between 2013 and 2018, more among women (25%) than among men (19%). 20% of men and 14% of women habitually smoke. The prevalence of smoking among men exceeds that of women across all age groups.

Long-term high-risk alcohol consumption has fallen by 29% between 2013 and 2018, and more among men (32%) than among women (25%). Alcohol consumption is more common among men (17%) than among women (11%).

More and more people engage in healthy physical activity: 80% of men and 74% of women and, although the proportion of women who engage in physical activity has increased, it was still lower than that of men across all age groups.

The Basque population spend more time sleeping – 14 minutes more – than 5 years previously (2013), an average of 9 hours and 6 minutes, above the 7-8 hours per day that are advised for good health.

Preventive practices aimed at reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease are extended to 90% of people aged 75 and over, the most at-risk group

92% of people who die of flu are aged 60 or over; however, flu vaccine coverage among people aged 65 and over has fallen in recent years. In 2018, a little over half of people aged 65-74 had a flu vaccine (58% of men and 55% of women), though this proportion increased to 79% among those aged 75 and over, the group with the largest gap in the vaccination rate between men and women (82% and 77%, respectively).

Conversely, preventive practices for controlling high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes – cardiovascular risk factors – have increased. These include blood pressure checks, and measuring blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Coverage increases considerably with age, such that the average is almost 7 out of 10 people aged 15 and over, but 9 out of 10 people aged 75 and over.

In terms of early detection programmes for cancer, the proportion of tests for cervical cancer has increased and the proportion of breast cancer tests has fallen slightly: 82% of women aged between 50 and 69 have had a mammogram in the last two years compared to 85% in 2013. Furthermore, the coverage of the early detection programme for colon cancer has increased: 89% of people aged between 50 and 69 who received the letter to participate in this programme submitted the sample for faecal occult blood testing (82% in 2013).

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.es Tel: 945 01 75 62