The health of Victorians revealed

The health and well-being of Victorians has been revealed following the release of the 2008 Victorian Population Health Survey results.

The landmark survey has painted a comprehensive picture on the health and well-being of Victorians and for the first time has provided health data on all of the state's 79 local government areas.

The survey is a vital tool in planning for a healthier future and contains data on health behaviours such as smoking, fruit and vegetable intake, alcohol consumption, levels of physical activity and cancer screening.

Survey results include data on body weight, asthma, diabetes, mental health, and levels of social support, community participation and volunteering.

Local government will be able to use the data to develop their public health and well-being programs.

The findings of the survey, which involved more than 34,000 adults, showed:

• 19.1 per cent of Victorians aged 18 years and over were current smokers – down from 24.1 per cent in 2001. Men were more likely to smoke than women.
• 31.9 per cent were overweight and 16.7 per cent were obese in 2008. More men were overweight than women.
• 81.5 per cent of adults reported their health was excellent, very good or good – this has not changed significantly since 2005.
• 10.7 per cent of adults had asthma – down from 12.1 per cent in 2001
• 60.3 per cent of adults met the national guidelines for exercise
• 56.9 per cent of Victorians consumed one to two serves of vegetables per day. More than twice as many females (10.5 per cent) as males (4.9 per cent) consumed five or more serves of vegetables per day.
• 48.6 per cent of Victorians reported they consumed two or more serves of fruit per day. More than half of the female population (54.6 per cent) reported consuming two or more serves of fruit daily compared with 42.3 per cent of men.
• About 13.6 per cent of men and 6.9 of women reported drinking alcohol weekly at levels for short-term risk – this has not varied significantly over the period 2002-2008.

The Victorian Population Health Survey will be undertaken at a local government level every three years, with the next survey beginning in early 2011.

For more information

Further details of the survey results can be found at the Health status of Victorians website.