NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY, 2014-15
TASMANIA
General health
- Considered themselves to be in excellent or very good health - 220,900 people (53.9% of persons aged 15 years and over in Tasmania)
- Experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress - 52,900 people (13.5% of persons aged 18 years and over in Tasmania)
Rates of persons aged 18 years and over with high or very high psychological distress increased in 2014-15 compared with 2011-12 (8.9%).
1
Long-term health conditions
- Arthritis - 118,000 people (23.4% of persons in Tasmania)
- Asthma - 63,300 people (12.6%)
- Cancer - 6,100 people (1.2%)
- Diabetes - 26,600 people (5.3%)
- Hayfever - 109,300 people (21.7%)
- Heart disease - 38,600 people (7.7%)
- High cholesterol - 47,400 people (9.4%)
- Hypertension - 82,500 people (16.4%)
- Kidney disease - 7,400 people (1.5%)
- Long sightedness - 166,800 people (33.1%)
- Mental and behavioural conditions - 104,500 people (20.8%)
- Osteoporosis - 19,400 people (3.9%)
- Short sightedness - 111,900 people (22.2%)
Compared with Australia, Tasmania had higher rates of Arthritis, Asthma, Heart disease, High cholesterol, Hypertension, Long sightedness and Mental and behavioural conditions.
Compared with Australia, Tasmania had a lower rate of short sightedness. Other conditions were similar to the national rate.
Health risk factors
Smoking
- Current daily smoker - 69,900 people (17.9% of persons aged 18 years and over in Tasmania)
Overweight and Obesity
Adults
- Overweight - 137,600 people (35.2% of persons aged 18 years and over in Tasmania)
- Obese - 126,400 people (32.3%)
- Overweight or obese - 264,200 people (67.5%)
Rates of persons aged 18 years and over who were obese in Tasmania increased in 2014-15 compared with 2011-12 (28.5%).
1
Children
- Overweight - 23,400 children (23.1% of children aged 2-17 years in Tasmania)
- Obese - 8,200 children (8.1%)
- Overweight or obese - 30,200 children (29.8%)
Alcohol consumption 2
- Exceeded lifetime risk guidelines (no more than two standard drinks on any day) - 72,700 people (18.6% of persons aged 18 years and over in Tasmania)
- Exceeded single occasion risk guidelines (no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion) - 178,700 people (45.7%)
Rates of persons aged 18 years and over who exceeded lifetime risk guidelines of alcohol consumption in Tasmania decreased in 2014-15 compared with 2011-12 (22.7%).
1
Blood pressure
- High blood pressure (equal to or greater than 140/90 mmHg) - 111,300 people (28.4% of persons aged 18 years and over in Tasmania)
Daily intake of fruit and vegetables 3
Adults
- Met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of fruit - 184,300 people (47.1% of persons aged 18 years and over in Tasmania)
- Met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of vegetables - 45,300 people (11.6%)
- Met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of both fruit and vegetables - 26,400 people (6.8%)
Children
- Met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of fruit - 70,700 children (66.2% of children aged 2-18 years in Tasmania)
- Met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of vegetables - 6,100 children (5.7%)
- Met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of both fruit and vegetables - 5,700 children (5.4%)
Exercise 4
- Participated in sufficient physical activity - 131,400 people (43.4% of persons aged 18-64 years in Tasmania)
Compared with Australia, persons aged 18 years and over in Tasmania had a higher rate who
- met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of vegetables
- met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of both fruit and vegetables
- were overweight or obese
- were current daily smokers
- had high blood pressure
Other health risk factors were similar to the national rate.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information about these and related statistics see publication National Health Survey: First Results, 2014-15 (cat. no. 4364.0.55.001), or contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.
ENDNOTES
1 All comparisons made between 2011-12 and 2014-15 have been tested for statistical significance with a 95% level of confidence that there is a real difference in the two populations being tested. To determine whether there is a statistical difference between any other two estimates, significance testing should be undertaken.
2 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), 2009. Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol, Canberra: NHMRC. <
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/ds10-alcohol.pdf>. For more information see Glossary.
3 National Health and Medical Research Council (2013) Australian Dietary Guidelines. Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council. <
https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/the_guidelines/n55_australian_dietary_guidelines.pdf > For more information see Glossary.
4 Sufficient physical activity (duration and session) is defined as 150 minutes of physical activity over five or more sessions per week including walking for fitness/transport, moderate and/or vigorous physical activity.