Surveys about Habits in Catalonia

Last January we did some surveys about our health habits (smoking, alcohol, sports and eating habits), and here we have the results of parents and granparents. Now, we are going to analyse them.

ALCOHOL in CATALONIA - adults

1. At what age did you start drinking?

Here we can see that before, people started drinking when they were younger, between when they were 15 and 20 years old. Only a small part of people started before, so that’s “good”, but it can be really better.

2. Why did you start drinking alcohol?

In that question we can see that a lot of people started drinking alcohol because of problems with social relationships, a half of the results. And 25%, had started for causes like family problems. So we can deduce than people used to started when they had problems.

3. What was the most common alcoholic beverage for you?

For most of the people, the most common alcoholic beverage was beer. It became really popular. And a lot of people drank wine too, and vodka. Whisky wasn’t really common.

4. When did you use to drink?

Here we can see than more than a half of the people who did that surveys before drank only at parties. And 21,4% drank during lunch and others, but it was more unusual.

5. How often did you use to drink?

Here we can see that only a small part of the results are always, so that’s quite good. Most of the people only drank sometimes, and 14,3% often. And then, 21,4% never drank.

6. How much alcohol did you use to drink?

Here we can see easily that most of the people only drank a little bit of alcohol, not much (76,9%, more than a half). And then, a smaller part, says that people drank quite a lot. But nobody puts than he/she drank a lot of alcohol, so that’s so good!

7. Are/Were there any diseases related to alcohol?

Here we can see than most of the people didn’t know anything about any diseases related to alcohol, more than a half. And that was a problem, because then they drank thinking than nothing will happen.

CONLUSIONS

After all that, we can conclude than in the past, most of the people started drinking when they were younger, usually because they had social problems, and the most common beverage was beer. People used to drink more at parties, only sometimes, and not much. Finally, we observe than most people didn’t know any diseases related to alcohol, and that was a problem. But it could be worst.

SMOKING in CATALONIA - adults

1. Did you use to smoke?

2. Do you smoke now?

In these two answers we can see than people now smoke less than before, in the past. Then, it was more usual, and more than a half smoke. But I think than now, people know some serious problems that happens when someone smoke, and I think that’s the first reason that change the people’s opinion.

3. Where did you smoke?

Here we can observe than in the past people used to smoke in a lot of public places, like in bars, at work, in restaurants... But now, it’s forbidden: you can only smoke outside. So the results in the present will be different.

4. When did you smoke?

In this question we can see than people used to smoke basically in their free time, or in their break time. So for them smoking was a way to relax, to rest, and that was the reason why they smoke at these hours.

5. How many cigarettes did you smoke a day in the past (maximum quantity)?

6. How many cigarettes do you smoke a day now?

Here we can compare two answers (5-6). In the past, most people used to smoke a lot, more than 5 cigarettes a day. So there is a big difference, because now more than 80% of the answers said than they don’t smoke. And I think the reason is that now more people now about the diseases that happen if you smoke...

7. At what age did you start smoking?

Here we can see than there is a 60% of the people who answered this question have started smoking, and most of them where in the age between 13-18, were they were younger. And some of them, between 18-24. But we don’t see anybody who started when they were more than 25 years old...

8. Who smoked the most: men or women?

Here we can see than in the past, people think than smoked most men (50% of the persons think that), and only a 25% think they smoked more women. After that, a 25% think they smoked both, men on women.

9. Do you consider people smoked more in the past than nowadays?

In this answer we can make sure what we think, that people smoked more in the past than now, it was more normal, and people do it without thinking. But now, people now more disease related to smoking, or we cannot smoke in the same places as in the past, so people who smoke has reduced.

10. Are/Were there any diseases related to smoking?

I think that’s a positive answer. If people now than there are diseases related to smoking, maybe we can stop it and help our health. But I think than in the past, we didn’t know as now all that things. However, an 8,3% voted “no”, and “I don’t know”, so I think we need to expand more this information.

CONCLUSIONS

With this answers, now we have a clearer idea of what did people in the past related with smoke. Firstly, people used to smoke more in the past than now: they smoke in a lot of places and usually in their free time. So it means smoking was a way to relax. Secondly, they smoke a lot (more than 5 cigarettes a day), and they start when they were younger, between the age of 13-18. Finally, people considered they smoke more in the past than now, and they smoked more men than women. The good thing is than now, a lot of people know diseases about smoking; however, we need to tell everybody, to stop it.

SPORTS in CATALONIA -adults

1. Did you practise any sport? Which?

Here we can see than in the past people who could play any sport practise almost football and basketball, because they were the typical ones. And a 15,8% couldn’t or didn’t play any sports. Also, we can observe than sports such as hockey or running weren’t usual like now.

2. How often did you practise sport?

We can see than people in the past didn’t have much time to spend playing or practising their sport. Most of the people used to practise it 1-2 times a week, and only a small part used to practise 5 hours or more. So it’s different than now, because in our days a lot of people practise for than 5 hours…

3. How many hours did you practise sport?

Here we find similar results as the last question. Before, people used to practise their sport 1-2 times a week, and not much time, only 1-2 hours. Some persons, practised 3-4 hours a week, and only a 10,5% practised it 5-6 hours a week. So it’s less than now.

4. Did your friends use to practise any sport?

Here we can observe than most of the people in the past used to practise sport, almost 95% of the persons. However, we can see than a 5% didn’t use to play it. And nobody played only at school.

5. Which sport was the most popular?

In these results we can see than in the past, most of the people played football, because it was the most typical. The other one with a certain importance was basketball, and the third one athletics. We can see than others, like cycling, cricket, boxing… nobody played them.

These survey results are very interesting, because we can understand than in the past there weren’t much sports to practise. No like now, than we can play all of them.

6. Who used to practise more sport: men or women?

Here we can see clearly than in the past, who used to practise sport where men, not women. More than a half think that, and the others think than men and women played both. But it was typical to play sport by men, because they were stronger and women used to do other things (like sew or stay at home).

7. Where there any kind of facilities to practise sport?

In the past, they weren’t a lot of facilities to play sport. Yes, they were some sport fields, or some sports centers, but not like now, because now there are a lot of places to practise all the sports.

8. What was the reason why you practised sport?

Here we can observe than most of the people (60%) used to play sport as a hobby, not to be healthy or fit (15% and 10%). Not like now, than people do it as a hobby but to be healthy or fit too. I think that happens because now, we know more the importance of sport, more than in the past. Some practise sport in school activity too.

9. What was the reason why you didn’t practise sport?

However, some of the population couldn’t practise some sports. And most of them, didn’t practise it for some reasons like: they had no time (45%), no money (10%), no facilities (25%)... So, they didn’t practise sport for problems that now we have (some of them) solved, because for example there are more facilities. The one thing than now we don’t have maybe it’s time.

10. Were there any diseases related to sport?

In the past, for this question, there were 3 different opinions. A third part though there were some diseases related to sport (I think like bodily injuries); another third part though there weren’t any (because playing sports you are more healthy, fit,...); and the last third part didn’t know it. So we need to think there were some diseases related to sport, yes, but we need to play sport, because if not maybe there will be some diseases related with no sport; so maybe it will be better to play but looking after ourselves.

CONCLUSIONS

To end this survey, we are going to summarize all the information. First of all, people in the past used to practise football or basketball, because they were the most popular ones. Then, they didn’t practise like us; they only practised them 1-2 times a week, one or two hours per week. They practised more men than women, and there weren’t the same kind of facilities: only some sports fields or sports centres, but no like now. And the ones who didn’t practise any sport was because they had no time or no facilities. Finally, people played sport like a hobby, no to get fit or to be healthy. And some people knew about diseases related to sport (like injuries or things like that); some think that there weren’t any (because it’s healthy); and some they didn’t know it.

EATINGS HABITS in CATALONIA -adults

1. How many meals a day did you have?

Here we can see than most of the people ate 3-5 times a day (I supose breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner). Then, we find than a 7,7% ate between 5-7 meals, and a very small part ate between 0-2 meals. But nobody ate more than 7 meals; I think then it will be excessive.

2. What kind of food did you eat?

Here we can see than most of the people ate vegetables, because they were healthier and cheaper than other things, and maybe they had them in orchards. Then, they ate meat, and some fruit too. The less thing they ate were fish, and they didn’t eat a lot of pasta like now.

3. What was the main meal of the day?

For most people, the main meal of the day was lunch. Maybe because they ate more things, like the starter, the main dish and desserts. Then, a 20% answered their main meal was dinner, and only a 7,7% think it was breakfast. But I think than breakfast has to be an important meal too, because it is the one where you get energy for the day...

4. Where was the main meal of the day prepared?

For most of them, the main meal was prepared at home. I think that’s because, in the past, people did all the things near home; I mean, for example farmers worked near home, the women in the houses... all near home. So it was a normal thing.

5. Did you eat what is called junk food?

6. Did you eat pre-cooked food?

In answers 5 and 6 we can see than in the past, people ate healthier than now. Now, we don’t have much time to cook, or we don’t want it, so we eat more pre-cooked or junk food. But in the past, most people didn’t eat that kind of food.

7. Did you drink soft drinks?

8. If you say yes in the last question: How often did you drink them?

In this two answers (7-8) we can see than people in the past didn’t drink soft drinks as now. A half of them they didn’t drink it, and the other half that they did it only once a week or once a month. Only a 10% drank them once a day, so it’s different than now.

9. How often did you eat at restaurants?

In the past, people didn’t go to restaurants as often as we do. A third part of them only went to restaurant once a year; another third part only once a month; and the other part once a week. So it wasn’t like now, than people go there more often.

10. Did you consider your eating habits in the past were healthy and balanced?

Now, a lot of people think in the past their eating habits were healthy and balanced. I supose they compared with our eating habits today, that are more irregular and they aren’t healthy as in the past.

CONCLUSIONS

Now we are going to conclude all this survey. We have seen than in the past, people used to ate between three and five meals a day, and they ate more vegetables, meat and fruits. They didn’t eat as much pasta as now. For most of them, the main menu was lunch, and it was prepared at home. They didn’t eat junk food, or pre-cooked food like now: today we eat it because we don’t have time to cook. They didn’t drink much soft drinks as now, maybe they only drank them in especial days. Finally, most of them they only went to restaurants once a month or once a year, and they think they ate better before than now.