How healthy are we?
Results from the National Health Survey 2004-05 were released in February. The survey collected information on health status, risk factors, health related actions and associated demographics from approximately 26,000 people throughout Australia. In conjunction with this survey, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) collected similar information from approximately 11,000 Indigenous Australians. Both surveys aim to inform policy development in population health, monitor changes across a range of key health issues (at both the national and state/territory level) and supply indicators for National Health Priority Areas and important subgroups of the population.
Key findings from the survey include:
- more Australian adults were overweight or obese
- more drank alcohol at risky or high risk levels in 2004-05 than in 2001.
The findings are summarised in the publication National Health Survey: Summary of Results, Australia, 2004-05 (cat. no. 4364.0) and associated tables for states and the ACT can be found in National Health Survey: Summary of Results; State tables 2004-05 (cat. no. 4362.0), both available free of charge from the ABS web site.
For further information contact Jane Griffin-Warwicke on
(02) 6252 6535, email jane.griffin-warwicke@abs.gov.au.