Trends in health behaviour indicators between 1987 and 2023 among adults in the general population in Denmark

Health surveys constitute an essential component in comprehensive public health surveillance systems by providing information relevant for health care planning and policy development. This study aimed to describe trends in key indicators of health risk behaviours based on data from nine health survey waves conducted in Denmark between 1987 and 2023.

Data were derived from the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey and the Danish National Health Survey conducted in the general population aged ⩾16 years. The number of respondents varied between 4,667 (1994) and 183,646 (2021). Data collection methods included both face-to-face interviews and self-administered (paper-and-pencil or web) questionnaires. Trends in the prevalence of the following health risk behaviours were examined: Daily smoking, a high weekly alcohol intake, unhealthy dietary pattern, leisure-time sedentary behaviour, obesity, and cannabis use in the past 12 months. Furthermore, the five-year change in odds ratio was calculated for each indicator.

A decreasing prevalence was observed for daily smoking (from 44% to 12%) and a high weekly alcohol intake (from 25% to 16%), while the prevalence of obesity (from 6% to 19%) and unhealthy dietary pattern (from 13% to 19%) increased. Leisure-time sedentary behaviour showed inconsistent patterns across different time periods, and cannabis use remained relatively stable (~7%). Overall, five-year trends confirmed these patterns.

Based on health risk behaviour trends in Denmark during the past decades demonstrated in the present study, policymakers are encouraged to develop national prevention strategies targeting these behaviours to support favourable trends and reverse unfavourable trends.