Sofia, November 19 (BTA) - According to preliminary data from
the latest European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) in Bulgaria,
hypertension was the most prevalent chronic disease in this
country last year, with 29.7 per cent of people aged 15 or over
saying they have this condition. Hypertension was more common
among women (32.8 per cent) than men (26.5 per cent), the
National Statistical Institute said here Thursday.

EHIS is part of the European Health Survey System, which aims to
 measure on a harmonised basis and with a high degree of
comparability among EU Member States, the health status,
lifestyle (health determinants) and healthcare services use
among EU citizens. The latest edition of the survey, EHIS wave
3, was conducted in Bulgaria by the National Statistical
Institute between October 2019 and January 2020. The collected
data are based on the answers and self-assessment of 7,540
persons aged 15 and over living in 4,459 eligible private
households.

During the period in review, the second most common chronic
disease or medical condition in Bulgaria were injuries affecting
 the lower back or other chronic disorders of the back (10.4 per
 cent), particularly among women (11.7 per cent, compared to 8.9
 per cent of men). Next was coronary heart disease or angina
pectoris (7 per cent in total, 8.1 per cent of women and 5.8 per
 cent of men), followed by diabetes (6.9 per cent in total, 7.3
per cent of women and 6.5 per cent of men) and arthrosis (5.8
per cent in total, 8.1 of women and 3.3 per cent of men).

The biggest share of respondents self-assessed their health as
"good" (40.7 per cent), followed by "very good" (29.2 per cent)
and "fair" (20.9 per cent). The share of respondents who
identified their health as "poor" and "very poor" was 7.3 and
1.9 per cent, respectively. Compared with the data from the
previous two waves of the EHIS conducted in 2008 and 2014, last
year saw a positive upward trend in the share of people who
assessed their health as "very good" - by 5.7 percentage points.

According to the EHIS preliminary data, last year current
smokers aged 15 or over (daily and occasional smokers) numbered
2.06 million (36.2 per cent), of whom 45.9 per cent men and 27.5
 per cent women. The share of daily smokers was 29.1 per cent
and of occasional smokers - 7.1 per cent. E-cigarettes and other
 similar evaporators, in which the liquid is converted into an
aerosol (vapor), were used daily or occasionally by only 2 per
cent of respondents.

Last year, 42 per cent of women and 16.2 per cent of men did not
 drink alcohol in the 12 months preceding the study, while 17.4
per cent of men and 3.6 per cent of women drank alcohol every
day or almost every day. Alcohol was consumed at least once a
month by 23.6 per cent of men and 22.3 per cent of women, and at
 least once a week but not daily by 34 per cent of men and 14.5
per cent of women.
       
NV/DS