4835.0.55.001 - Physical Activity in Australia: A Snapshot, 2007-08  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 09/09/2011   
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HEALTH BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

SELF-ASSESSED HEALTH

A person's perception of their own health is a useful measure of their current health status. In the 2007-08 NHS, people were asked to provide a general assessment of their own health, selecting from a five-point scale (excellent, very good, good, fair and poor).

People who met the recommended physical activity guidelines were more likely to consider their health as excellent or very good than those who did not (64% compared with 49%) (Graph 6.1). This pattern was consistent for both men and women.

6.1 Proportion of people, by Whether met physical activity guidelines(a)(b) by Self-assessed health
Graph-6.1 Proportion of people, by whether met physical activity guidelines by self-assessed health
(a) The National Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults.
(b) Based on exercise undertaken for fitness, recreation or sport in the last week.

Source: National Health Survey, 2007-08


PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS

A series of questions about negative emotional states, known as the Kessler 10 scale questionnaire, was used as part of the 2007-08 NHS to determine an individual's level of psychological distress. Based on their responses, people were grouped into one of four categories: low, moderate, high or very high levels of psychological distress.

Adults who met the recommended physical activity guidelines were less likely than those who did not meet them to have high or very high levels of psychological distress (10% compared with 13%).