The Victorian Population Health Survey is an important component of the population health surveillance capacity of the Department of Human Services. The annual survey series is an ongoing source of high quality information on the health of Victorians. Information in the report is presented on health and lifestyle, including physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, intake of fruit and vegetables, selected health screening, adult obesity, asthma and diabetes prevalence, psychological distress and social networks.
The aim of this report is to provide high quality, timely indicators of population health that are intended to have direct application to evidence-based policy development and strategic planning across the department and the wider community. The Victorian Population Health Survey is based on a core set of question modules that are critical to informing decisions about public health priorities. It fills a significant void in the accessible data that are required to ensure public health programs are relevant and responsive to current and emerging health issues.
Department of Health & Human Services (Adrian Serraglio)
This report contains the key findings from the Victorian Population Health Survey 2006 and is the sixth in an ongoing annual series. Information is presented on health and lifestyle including asthma, diabetes, alcohol and tobacco consumption, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, adult obesity, psychological distress and social networks.
About the survey
The Victorian Population Health Survey is an important component of the population health surveillance capacity of the Department of Human Services. The annual survey series is an ongoing source of high quality information on the health of Victorians. Information in the report is presented on health and lifestyle, including physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, intake of fruit and vegetables, selected health screening, adult obesity, asthma and diabetes prevalence, psychological distress and social networks.
The aim of this report is to provide high quality, timely indicators of population health that are intended to have direct application to evidence-based policy development and strategic planning across the department and the wider community. The Victorian Population Health Survey is based on a core set of question modules that are critical to informing decisions about public health priorities. It fills a significant void in the accessible data that are required to ensure public health programs are relevant and responsive to current and emerging health issues.
Methods
Computer-assisted telephone interviewing was undertaken between August and December 2006. A representative statewide sample of adults aged 18 years or over was randomly selected from households in each of the eight departmental health regions. Approximately 7500 interviews were completed during the fieldwork period. The department determined the content of the survey after reviewing the determinants of chronic disease states that are most likely to have an impact on Victorians. Priority has been given to areas in which a public health response is likely to be effective in improving health and, importantly, reducing inequalities in health for all Victorians.
About this report
This report presents information that is compared to selected data items since inception of the survey in 2001. Future survey reports will continue to present time series information, along with changes over time in the health of Victorians and the determinants of that health, such as obesity patterns among adult Victorians. In the section on health and lifestyle, the report contains information on the prevalence of major risk-taking behaviours across the Victorian population—for example, the prevalence of smoking, nutrition, alcohol consumption and levels of physical activity. Data on self-reported height and weight are now collected as core items. These data will be vital for targeting public health interventions and evaluating outcomes.
Questions on asthma and diabetes provide indicators for the selected national health priority areas, which are the subject of public health programs in Victoria and nationwide. These data complement the department’s Victorian Burden of Disease Study and Victorian Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions Study, and they describe aspects of clinical management and prevention that are amenable to public health interventions. A particular interest is the module of questions on the social determinants of health. A component of information presented in the report (section 8) is based on measures of the extent and diversity of social networks in the Victorian population. Policy makers now have Victorian data that link preventable risk-taking behaviours, their ‘upstream’ determinants (such as levels of social networks) and health status.
The Victorian Population Health Survey 2006 collected a wide range of information relating to the health of the adult Victorian population and the determinants of that health. Table 1.1 presents the key results from the survey, the health and lifestyle of Victorians in 2006 at a glance.
The main lifestyle related variables include fruit and vegetable intake, alcohol consumption, smoking and physical activity.
Health status variables described include self-rated health, body mass index, asthma and diabetes status and levels of psychological distress.
Screening information collected includes blood pressure, cholesterol, bowel and blood sugar levels.
Social network and participation information includes attendance at community events, group membership, volunteering, help from friends/family/neighbours, attitudes towards multiculturalism and feeling valued by society.
Fruit intake
The proportion of adults in 2006 meeting the recommended daily intake levels of fruit (two serves) was 47.0 per cent, down from a high of 56.4 per cent in 2001, at the commencement of the Victorian Population Health Survey data collection.
Vegetable intake
Less than one in ten adults in 2006 (9.9 per cent) were meeting the recommended daily intake for vegetables (five serves), down from a high of 12.2 per cent in 2002.
Alcohol intake
The proportion of males and females drinking alcohol weekly at levels for short term risk has remained relatively constant over the period 2002–06, at approximately 14 per cent for males and 6 per cent for females.
Smoking
In 2006, over one in five adults aged 18 years or over (20.5 per cent) were current smokers, down from a high of 24.5 per cent in 2001.
Physical activity
The proportion of persons undertaking adequate physical activity (measured in both sufficient time and sessions) was 64.1 per cent in 2006, an increase from 57.0 per cent in 2002.
Self reported health
The proportion of persons reporting their health as either excellent, very good or good has remained relatively constant over the period 2001–06, at between 81 and 84 per cent.
Obesity/overweight
The measures of height and weight were collected for the first time in 2002. The proportion of persons categorised as overweight or obese according to the body mass index has remained steady at between 45 and 48 per cent.
Asthma
Asthma prevalence amongst adults in 2006 was 10.7 per cent and has remained steady at this level over the past few years.
Diabetes
Diabetes prevalence amongst adults has remained steady at between 4 and 5 per cent over the period 2002–06.
Psychological distress
The proportion of persons having high levels on the Kessler 10 measure of psychological distress has ranged from 3 to 4 per cent over the period 2001–06.
Screening
Blood pressure checks amongst persons aged 50 years and over has remained constant over the period 2001–06, with 78.2 per cent of persons in this aged group undertaking the test in 2006.
Those in the 50 years plus age group having cholesterol checks has risen from 45.8 per cent in 2001 to 51.0 per cent in 2006, and for blood sugar tests the proportion rose from 44.8 per cent in 2001 to 47.8 per cent in 2006.
Social networks and participation
In 2006, over one in three persons aged 18 years and over (33.9 per cent) reported that they helped out a local group as a volunteer.
Most persons could get help from friends, family or neighbours when needed.
Three out of four persons (75.0 per cent) felt multiculturalism made life in their area better, 81.3 per cent felt valued by society and 72.8 per cent felt they had an opportunity to have a say on issues that were important to them.