4364.0.55.001 - National Health Survey: First Results, 2014-15  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 23/03/2016   
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NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY, 2014-15

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

General health

  • Considered themselves to be in excellent or very good health – 1.2 million people (60.8% of persons aged 15 years and over in WA)
  • Experienced high or very high levels of Psychological distress – 186,900 people (9.9% of persons aged 18 years and over in WA)

Compared with Australia, Western Australia had a higher rate of persons who considered themselves to be in excellent or very good health.
    Long-term health conditions
    • Arthritis – 314,700 people (12.8% of persons in WA)
    • Asthma – 235,300 people (9.6%)
    • Cancer – 27,500 people (1.1%)
    • Diabetes – 117,800 people (4.8%)
    • Hayfever – 516,100 people (21.0%)
    • Heart disease – 102,700 people (4.2%)
    • High cholesterol – 146,800 people (6.0%)
    • Hypertension – 234,100 people (9.5%)
    • Kidney disease – 18,700 people (0.8%)
    • Long sightedness – 532,700 people (21.7%)
    • Mental and behavioural conditions – 358,100 people (14.6%)
    • Osteoporosis – 68,200 people (2.8%)
    • Short sightedness – 613,900 people (25.0%)
      Compared with Australia, Western Australia had lower rates of Arthritis, Cancer, Heart disease, High cholesterol, Hypertension, Long sightedness and Mental and behavioural conditions. Other conditions were similar to the national rate.

      Health risk factors

      Smoking
      • Current daily smoker – 269,700 people (14.3% of persons aged 18 years and over in WA)

      Rates of current daily smokers in Western Australia decreased in 2014-15 compared with 2011-12 (17.7%).1

      Overweight and Obesity

      Adults
      • Overweight – 676,300 people (35.9% of persons aged 18 years and over in WA)
      • Obese – 463,000 people (24.6%)
      • Overweight/obese – 1.1 million people (60.3%)

      Rates of persons aged 18 years and over who were overweight or obese in Western Australia decreased in 2014-15 compared with 2011-12 (65.2%).1

      Children
      • Overweight – 97,400 children (19.2% of children aged 2-17 years in WA)
      • Obese – 28,200 children (5.6%)
      • Overweight/obese – 124,700 children (24.6%)

      Alcohol consumption2
      • Exceeded lifetime risk guidelines (no more than two standard drinks on any day) – 392,300 people (20.8% of persons aged 18 years and over in WA)
      • Exceeded single occasion risk guidelines (no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion) – 885,100 people (47.0%)

      Rates of persons aged 18 years and over exceeding lifetime risk guidelines of alcohol consumption in Western Australia decreased in 2014-15 compared with 2011-12 (25.4%).1

      Blood pressure
      • High blood pressure (equal to or greater than 140/90 mmHg) – 388,700 people (20.6% of persons aged 18 years and over in WA)

      Daily intake of fruit and vegetables3

      Adults
      • Met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of fruit – 1 million people (54.2% of persons aged 18 years and over in WA)
      • Met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of vegetables – 160,800 people (8.5%)
      • Met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of both fruit and vegetables – 118,300 people (6.3%)

      Children
      • Met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of fruit – 369,500 children (69.1% of children aged 2-18 years in WA)
      • Met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of vegetables – 34,300 children (6.4%)
      • Met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of both fruit and vegetables – 28,600 children (5.3%)

      Exercise4
      • Participated in sufficient physical activity – 788,500 people (50.3% of persons aged 18-64 years in WA)

      Compared with Australia, persons aged 18 years and over in Western Australia had lower rates of those who
      • were overweight or obese
      • had high blood pressure

      and higher rates of those who
      • exceeded lifetime risk guidelines of alcohol consumption
      • exceeded single occasion risk guidelines of alcohol consumption
      • met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of fruit
      • met the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of vegetables.

      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 per week over five or more sessions including walking for fitness/transport, moderate and/or vigorous physical activity.