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AUSTRALIAN HEALTH SURVEY


OVERVIEW OF RELEASE

In June, the 2011-12 Australian Health Survey: Updated Results (cat. no. 4364.0.55.003) was released. This release focussed on providing finer level detail for key items including general health, prevalence of long-term health conditions and health risk factors. It also included some results obtained through physical measurement (e.g. blood pressure), and by self-report (e.g. smoking rates).

In July, the Australian Health Survey: Physical Activity (cat. no. 4364.0.55.004) was released. The focus of this publication was on physical activity for adults and children. It included data items derived from self-reported and pedometer collection methods. The survey found that three-quarters of children aged 5-17 years had some kind of screen-based media in their bedroom. This was associated with them spending an extra two hours per week watching or playing with TVs, computers and other media equipment in their bedrooms than those young people without similar equipment. It was also found that of young people, those aged 15-17 years, were least likely to reach the recommended 12,000 steps per day.

For adults, sedentary activity occupied an average 39 hours per week, including nearly 10 hours sitting at work. Clerical or administrative workers spent an average of 22 hours a week sitting for work. Less than one in five adults recorded 10,000 steps per day on average.

In August, the Australian Health Survey: Biomedical Results for Chronic Diseases (cat. no. 4364.0.55.005) was released. This publication focussed on high level results for chronic diseases from the biomedical measures collected in the National Health Measures Survey (NHMS). Around 11,000 respondents aged 5 years and over across Australia voluntarily provided blood and/or urine samples, which were tested for a range of chronic disease and nutrition biomarkers. This first release of information considers results for chronic diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and liver function.

The next Australian Health Survey release will be on the 27 November, when there will be a focus on long-term health conditions and risk factors for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. There will be a subsequent release in December, focussing on high level results from the nutrients component of the biomedical measures collected in the NHMS.