Health behaviours

Risk alcohol drinking

Between 1997 and 2007, there has been a significant decrease in the proportion of persons aged 45 years and over who engaged in risk drinking behaviour (35.5 per cent to 26.5 per cent), as defined by the Australian Alcohol Guidelines. The decrease was significant in males (46.3 per cent to 33.6 per cent) and females (25.6 per cent to 20.4 per cent), all age groups except 75 years and over, all quintiles of socioeconomic disadvantage, and all categories of geographical accessibility.

High risk alcohol drinking

Between 2002 and 2007, there has been a significant decrease in the proportion of persons aged 45 years and over who engaged in high risk drinking behaviour (6.5 per cent to 3.9 per cent), as defined by the Australian Alcohol Guidelines. The decrease was significant in males (8.7 per cent to 5.7 per cent) and females (3.9 per cent to 2.4 per cent), persons aged 45-54 years (10.4 per cent to 6.6 per cent), in the fourth (7.3 per cent to 3.9 per cent) and fifth (8.5 per cent to 4.8 per cent) quintiles of socioeconomic disadvantage, in the major cities (6.3 per cent to 3.8 per cent) and inner regional region (6.2 per cent to 3.3 per cent) categories of geographical accessibility.

Breast cancer screening

Between 1997 and 2006, there has been no significant variation in the proportion of females aged 50-69 years who had a screening mammogram in the last 2 years. However, there has been a significant increase among females aged 65-69 years (71.5 per cent to 84.2 per cent), females in the outer regional (70.5 per cent to 83.7 per cent) and remote/very remote (65.1 per cent to 89.2 per cent) categories of geographical accessibility.

Cervical cancer screening

Between 1998 and 2006, there has been no significant variation in the proportion of females aged 45-69 years who had screening Pap test in the last 2 years, excluding those who have had a hysterectomy, among all age groups, all quintiles of socioeconomic disadvantage, and all categories of geographical accessibility.

Hysterectomy

Between 1997 and 2006, there has been a significant decrease in the proportion of females aged 45-69 years who had a hysterectomy (28.3 per cent to 25.2 per cent). The decrease was significant among females aged 45-49 years (18.0 per cent to 11.9 per cent), and in the second least disadvantaged quintile (28.9 per cent to 18.6 per cent).

Bowel cancer screening

Between 2004 and 2007, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of persons aged 50 years and over who had a screening test for colorectal cancer (a faecal occult blood test or colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy) in the last 5 years (26.0 per cent to 43.0 per cent). The increase was significant in males (27.7 per cent to 45.0) and females (24.4 per cent to 41.3 per cent), all quintiles of socioeconomic disadvantage, and all categories of geographical accessibility.

Injury prevention: smoke alarms in the home

Between 1997 and 2007, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of persons aged 45 years and over who had a smoke alarm or detector installed in their home (57.8 per cent to 93.6 per cent). The increase was significant in all age groups, all quintiles of socioeconomic disadvantage, and all categories of geographical accessibility.

Fruit consumption

Between 1997 and 2007, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of persons aged 45 years and over who consumed the recommended 2 serves or more of fruit (51.3 per cent to 60.1 per cent). The increase was significant in males (43.3 per cent to 54.8 per cent) and females (58.8 per cent to 64.8 per cent), all age groups, all quintiles of socioeconomic disadvantage, and all categories of geographical accessibility except remote/very remote.

Vegetable consumption

Between 1997 and 2007, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of persons aged 45 years and over who consumed the recommended 5 serves or more of vegetables (11.0 per cent to 13.2 per cent). However, when considered by sex, the increase was significant in females (11.9 per cent to 17.8 per cent) while males decreased significantly (10.1 per cent to 8.2 per cent). All age groups increased significantly except persons aged 45-54 years. The increase was also significant in the least disadvantaged quintile (9.0 per cent to 12.8 per cent), the third quintile of disadvantage (12.0 per cent to 15.3 per cent), the inner regional category of accessibility (14.3 per cent to 17.2 per cent), and the outer regional category of accessibility (9.3 per cent to 15.8 per cent).

Physical activity

Between 1998 and 2007, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of persons aged 45 years and over who undertook adequate levels of physical activity, defined as 150 minutes of moderate activity a week over 5 separate occasions (41.3 per cent to 49.1 per cent). The increase was significant in males (46.5 per cent to 56.0 per cent) and females (36.6 per cent to 42.5 per cent), all age groups, all quintiles of socioeconomic disadvantage except the second and third, and all geographical regions except remote/very remote.

Current smoking

Between 1997 and 2007, there has been no significant variation in the proportion of persons aged 45 years and over who were current smokers, among males and females, all age groups, all quintiles of socioeconomic disadvantage, and all geographical regions except remote/very remote, which decreased from 24.3 per cent to 13.8 per cent.

Smoke-free households

Between 1997 and 2007, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of persons aged 45 years and over who lived in smoke-free households (73.3 per cent to 88.1 per cent). The increase was significant among all age groups, all quintiles of socioeconomic disadvantage, and all categories of geographical accessibility.

Graphs

Source:	New South Wales Population Health Survey 2007 (HOIST). Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Department of Health.
Print version:	Although this page can be printed directly from your web browser, a higher quality version is available as a PDF file that can be printed or viewed on screen.
Produced by:	Centre for Epidemiology and Research, Population Health Division, NSW Department of Health.
Last updated on:	1 June 2008