Notes on the data: COMPOSITE INDICATORS

Estimated male, female and total population, aged 18 years and over, who had at least one of four health risk factors, 2014-15

Policy context: Smoking, consuming alcohol at levels considered to be a high risk to health, obesity and undertaking no or little exercise are all important risk factors for developing chronic disease.

In 2014-15, over three quarters (77.6%) of the population were estimated to have at least one of these four risk factors; the proportion was higher for females (79.2%) than for males (75.9%). The proportions for the individual risk factors were 66.3% for people undertaking no or low exercise, 27.9% for people who are obese, 16.7% for people consuming alcohol at levels considered to be a high risk to health over their lifetime, and 16.1% for current smokers [1].

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey: First Results, 2014–15. Available from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4364.0.55.001; last accessed 4/12/2016

Notes: In the absence of data from administrative data sets, estimates are provided for certain chronic diseases and conditions from the 2014–15 National Health Survey (NHS), conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Small area estimates:

Data by Population Health Area, Local Government Area and Primary Health Network are available for the 2014-15 National Health Survey in the data archive.

Indicator detail

The four risk factors are: current smokers; consuming alcohol at levels considered to be a high risk to health over their lifetime; obese from measured height and weight; and no or low exercise in the week prior to interview. See each indicator for definitions.

Geography: Data available by quintile of socioeconomic disadvantage of area and Remoteness Area

Numerator: Estimated number of males, females or persons aged 18 years and over who had one of four risk factors

Denominator: Male, female or total population aged 18 years and over

Detail of analysis: Indirectly age-standardised rate per 100 population (aged 15 years and over); and/or indirectly age-standardised ratio, based on the Australian standard

Source: Compiled by PHIDU based on direct estimates from the 2014–15 National Health Survey, ABS Survey TableBuilder.