The Victorian Population Health Survey is an important component of the Department of Health’s population health surveillance work. The annual survey series is an ongoing source of quality information on the health of adult Victorians.
The Victorian Population Health Survey has been conducted each year since 2001 and is based on a sample of 7,500 adults aged 18 years or over, who are randomly selected from households from each of the eight Department of Health regions in the state. In 2008 and again in 2011–12, the sample size for the survey was expanded to include the 79 local government areas (LGAs) in the state (Tables i–iii and Maps i–ii).
The aim of the survey is to provide quality, timely indicators of population health that directly apply to evidence-based policy development and strategic planning across the department and the wider community. The survey is based on core question modules to report on trends over time and to inform decisions about public health priorities. The survey findings fill a significant gap in population health data and provide information to ensure that public health programs remain relevant and responsive to current and emerging health issues.
The impact of the use of data from the Victorian Population Health Survey is extensive across the government and non-government sectors of Victoria. The survey provides quality data for a range of indicators of public health importance at a state and LGA level.
Department of Health & Human Services
The Victorian Population Health Survey has been conducted each year since 2001 and is based on a sample of 7,500 adults aged 18 years and over who are randomly selected from households from each of the eight Department of Health regions in the state. In 2011-12, the sample size for the survey was expanded to approximately 34,000 respondents to include the 79 local government areas in Victoria. Please refer to the Methods section of the report for a more detailed description of the survey methodology.
Information in the report is presented on health and lifestyle including physical activity, smoking prevalence, alcohol consumption, fruit and vegetable intake, intake of sugar-sweetened drinks, selected health and screening checks, body weight, asthma and diabetes prevalence, psychological distress, oral health and eye health.
About the survey
The Victorian Population Health Survey is an important component of the Department of Health’s population health surveillance work. The annual survey series is an ongoing source of quality information on the health of adult Victorians.
The Victorian Population Health Survey has been conducted each year since 2001 and is based on a sample of 7,500 adults aged 18 years or over, who are randomly selected from households from each of the eight Department of Health regions in the state. In 2008 and again in 2011–12, the sample size for the survey was expanded to include the 79 local government areas (LGAs) in the state (Tables i–iii and Maps i–ii).
The aim of the survey is to provide quality, timely indicators of population health that directly apply to evidence-based policy development and strategic planning across the department and the wider community. The survey is based on core question modules to report on trends over time and to inform decisions about public health priorities. The survey findings fill a significant gap in population health data and provide information to ensure that public health programs remain relevant and responsive to current and emerging health issues.
The impact of the use of data from the Victorian Population Health Survey is extensive across the government and non-government sectors of Victoria. The survey provides quality data for a range of indicators of public health importance at a state and LGA level.
Summary of findings
Fruit intake
Less than half (45.5 per cent) of all persons surveyed met the recommended minimum daily intake levels for fruit (three or more serves for those aged 18 years and two or more serves for those aged 19 years or over).
Vegetable intake
Less than one in 10 adults (7.2 per cent) in 2011–12 met the recommended minimum daily intake for vegetables (four or more serves for those aged 18 years and five or more serves for those aged 19 years or over).
Sugar-sweetened drinks
More than one in five Victorian adults (22.6 per cent) reported consuming sugar-sweetened or diet soft drinks on a daily basis.
Alcohol intake
The proportion of males and females drinking alcohol at levels for short-term risk of harm did not vary significantly over the period from 2003 to 2011–12. In 2011–12 approximately 12.7 per cent of males and 5.6 per cent of females reported drinking alcohol weekly at levels for short-term risk.
Smoking
Approximately one in five adults aged 18 years or over (15.8 per cent) were current smokers in 2011–12, down from a high of 21.9 per cent in 2003.
Physical activity
The proportion of persons undertaking adequate physical activity (measured in both sufficient time and sessions) to meet the national guidelines was 63.7 per cent in 2011–12. This figure has not changed significantly since 2005.
Self-reported health
The proportion of persons reporting their health as excellent, very good or good was 83.8 per cent in 2011–12. This figure did not change significantly over the period from 2005 to 2011–12.
Self-reported dental health
The proportion of persons reporting their dental health as excellent, very good or good was 75.0 per cent in 2011–12. Just over half (56.7 per cent) of Victorian adults had visited a dental professional within the 12 months preceding the survey.
Body weight
Measures of height and weight were collected for the first time in 2002 to calculate body mass index (BMI). The proportion of persons categorised as obese according to their BMI increased from 13.9 per cent in 2003 to 17.5 per cent in 2011–12.
Asthma
The prevalence of current asthma (experienced asthma symptoms in the previous 12 months) among adults was 10.9 per cent in 2011–12. The prevalence of current asthma did not significantly change between 2003 and 2011–12 in men, women or all Victorian adults.
Diabetes
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes was 5.0 per cent in 2011–12. The prevalence of self-reported doctor-diagnosed type 2 diabetes significantly increased from 2003 to 2011–12 in both men and women.
Psychological distress
The proportion of persons with high or very high levels of psychological stress, as determined using the Kessler 10 measure of psychological distress, remained steady at 10–13 per cent over the period from 2003 to 2011–12.
Health checks and screening
In 2011–12 more than three-quarters (82.3 per cent) of all persons surveyed reported having had their blood pressure checked, more than half (60.8 per cent) reported having had a blood cholesterol test and more than half (56.1 per cent) reported having had a blood glucose test in the past two years.
More than half (61.2 per cent) of all persons aged 50 years or over who had received a faecal occult blood test (FOBT) kit from the national bowel cancer screening program in the mail had completed and returned the kit.
Among the female population, almost three-quarters (70.8 per cent) reported having had a Pap test in the preceding two years.
Among the female population, aged 50 years or over, less than three-quarters (69.7 per cent) reported having had a mammogram in the past two years.
Social inequalities in health
Overall, 4.6 per cent of Victorian adults reported that they had run out of food in the previous 12 months and had been unable to afford to buy more.