Just before the pandemic, most people in the UK described themselves as healthy, but nearly half were already living with chronic conditions. Allergies were the most common, followed by high blood pressure, back pain, depression, and diabetes. Women were more likely to report that health issues limited daily life and faced greater delays in accessing care.
Lifestyle patterns added to the picture: more women had a healthy weight, while men were more often overweight and heavier drinkers. Smoking rates were similar between men and women but varied sharply by region. The findings reveal a population that felt broadly well but was already managing significant health challenges and uneven access to care—pressures that the pandemic would soon intensify.
