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Home > Our Publications > Australian Outlook> 2008> May

Health messages getting through

NEW South Wales' Minister for Health, Reba Meagher, said the latest health reports showed that good health messages are hitting the mark, with the number of people smoking or engaging in risk drinking behaviour at the lowest level in 10 years.
Ms Meagher said data from the New South Wales Population Health Survey: 2007 Reports on Adult Health by Area Health Service showed that 18.5 per cent of people reported smoking and 31.8 per cent engaged in risk drinking behaviour.
"Of course we would like to see those figures even lower, but these are the lowest levels recorded since reporting began in 1997," Ms Meagher said.
Encouraging results from the reports include:

A record 88.2 per cent of households are now smokefree, up from 69.7 per cent in 1997
54.4 per cent or people ate the recommended two serves of fruit each day
Only 10.7 per cent ate the recommended five serves of vegetables each day, but 40.3 per cent ate at least 3 serves per day
The majority of people (54.9 per cent) undertook adequate levels of physical activity
Nearly three quarters (72.8 per cent) of adults aged 65 and over were vaccinated against influenza, up from 57.1 per cent in 1997.

"The Iemma Government is committed to helping people lead healthier lives and avoid the risks of developing chronic disease. We are investing AU$6.5 million over four years on anti-obesity and healthy living campaigns as part of the Live Life Well programme," Ms Meagher said.
"These reports show that the message is getting through - that fewer people are smoking and drinking at dangerous levels and that our campaigns to encourage physical activity and the consumption of fruit and vegetables are having a positive effect."
Ms Meagher said that while the results are encouraging, there is still work to be done.
"The number of people who are overweight or obese has risen by more than 10 per cent in the past decade, to 51.7 per cent," Ms Meagher said.
"And one of the surprising results of the reports was that despite more than half of the population being overweight or obese, 81 per cent of people rated their health as good, very good or excellent."
Key findings of the 2007 reports are:

7.1 per cent of people were diagnosed by a doctor or hospital with diabetes or high blood glucose, up from 4.7 per cent in 1997
10.4 per cent of people were diagnosed as having asthma
12.1 per cent of people had high or very high levels of psychological distress, largely unchanged since 1997
92.9 per cent of people have a smoke alarm in their home, a significant increase from 58.2 per cent in 1997.