Health related behaviours Physical activity among adults
Note:
A threshold value of 150 minutes was used to designate 'adequate' physical activity, calculated from adding (minutes walking + minutes moderate activity + minutes vigorous household chores + minutes heavy yardwork + 2 x minutes vigorous activity) in the last week. All Urban: includes Wentworth, Central Coast, Hunter, Illawarra and Sydney metropolitan Health Areas. LL/UL95%CI = lower/upper limits of 95% confidence interval of the point estimate.
Source:
NSW Health Survey 2003 (HOIST). Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Health Department.
Physical inactivity accounts for 6.7% of the total disease and injury burden in Australia (Mathers et al., 1999). Adequate daily movement is a preventive factor for cardiovascular disease, cancer, mental illness, diabetes mellitus, and injury. To maintain health, it is recommended that moderate intensity activity be carried out on most days of the week for at least 30 minutes per day (US Department of Health and Human Services, 1996). Moderate intensity activity includes brisk walking, dancing, swimming, or cycling. Vigorous household chores contribute to daily energy expenditure.
Among males aged 16 years and over in 2004, reported levels of adequate physical activity ranged from 44.4% in Sydney West Health Area to 61.6% in Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service. Among females of the same age, reported levels of adequate physical activity ranged from 39.9% in Sydney West Area Health Service to 49.4% in Eastern Southern Illawarra Area Health Service.
In the Hunter New England Region, the proportion of adults reporting adequate levels of physical activity is lower than the New South Wales average (46.7% v's 50.4%). For males in the Hunter New England Region 49.2% reported adequate physical activity compared with 54.9% of males across New South Wales. For females, 44.3% of Hunter New England females reported adequate physical activity compared with 45.9% across NSW.
The goal of Simply Active Everyday, a whole-of-government strategy, is to increase safe and ongoing participation, particularly among less active people.
For more information:
Armstrong T, Bauman A, and Davies J Physical activity patterns of Australian adults. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, catalogue CVD 10, 2000. www.aihw.gov.au
Mathers C, Vos T, Stevenson C. The burden of disease and injury in Australia. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, catalogue no 17, 1999. www.aihw.gov.au.
NSW Physical Activity Task Force. Simply Active Every Day: A plan to promote physical activity in NSW 1998-2002. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 1998.
US Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 1996.
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Rider:
The information presented in this report result from analyses of a variety of social and health focused datasets. These datasets originate from a variety of sources including Hunter New England Health, the NSW Department of Health, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The timing of the release of these data to third parties is controlled by the owner of these data. It is therefore possible for these organisations to publish data that they have not yet made available to Hunter New England Population Health for analysis and release. Users should therefore check the publications of these organisations as it is possible that they may have published even more up to date information on Hunter New England than those available in this report. As this report is an ongoing project, the indicators presented will be updated as soon as possible after the release of all datasets to Hunter New England Population Health.
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This work is copyright Hunter New England Area Health Service, 2005. It may be reproduced
in whole or in part, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. Commercial usage or sale is prohibited.
Hunter New England Population Health. Health in Hunter New England. Hunter New England Area Health Service, 2005. Available at:
http://www.hnehealth.nsw.gov.au/HHNE/beh/beh_physahs.htm. Accessed (insert date of access).
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