Target: Cut by one-third obesity, smoking, heavy drinking and unsafe sun exposure
On this page:
Queensland adults who are overweight/obese
This chart shows the current and predicted upward trend in overweight/obese Queensland adults. It also shows the gap between the current trend and what needs to be done to achieve the target by 2020.
Source: Self reported height and weight-baseline measure from 2004-05 National Health Survey, and current measure from 2009 Queensland Health CATI Survey. Derived from self reported height and weight data collected by telephone interview. The baseline represents available data when Q2 was released on 8 September 2008. Current trendline has been recalculated based on data from 2000 to 2008 including baseline estimate.
Queensland's rates of obesity continue to be a concern with an increase in the proportion of Queensland adults who are overweight or obese, from 49.7 per cent in 2005 to 55.3 per cent in 2009. Almost two in three Queensland men are now overweight or obese and one in two Queensland women are overweight or obese.
Queensland adults who smoke daily
This chart shows the current trend in smoking in Queensland since 2007. It also shows the gap between the current trend and what needs to be done to achieve the target by 2020.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), National Drug Strategy Household Survey – State and Territory Supplement (2007 data) and current measure from 2009 Queensland Health CATI Survey. Next data point for the rest of Australia is 2010, available late 2011. The baseline represents available data when Q2 was released on 8 September 2008. Current trendline has been recalculated based on data from 2001 to 2007 including the baseline estimate.
Rates of smoking have declined significantly since Queensland introduced tougher anti-smoking laws. Our rates of smoking have seen the greatest decline of all states and territories from 19.8 per cent in 2004 to 17.2 per cent in 2007, and are continuing to decrease with 15.7 per cent of Queenslanders smoking daily in 2009. There are now 17.5 per cent of Queensland men and 14.4 per cent of women who are daily smokers.
Queensland adults who are risky/high risk drinkers
This chart shows the current trend in high risk and risky drinking in Queensland since 2007. It also shows the gap between the current trend and what needs to be done to achieve the target by 2020. Risky drinking is defined as 29 or more standard drinks per week for men and 15 or more standard drinks per week for women.
Source: AIHW, National Drug Strategy Household Survey - State and Territory Supplement and current measure from Queensland Health CATI survey. Derived from self reported alcohol consumption data for 18 year olds and over collected by telephone interview. Next data point for the rest of Australia is 2010, available 2011. The baseline represents available data when Q2 was released on 8 September 2008. Current trendline has been recalculated based on data from 2001 to 2007 including the baseline estimate. Caution needs to be exercised when interpreting this trend, due to limited data collections over this period.
While risky drinking in Queensland men aged 18 years and over has remained about the same between 2007 to 2009, our overall levels of risky drinking have decreased. There has also been a significant decrease in the proportion of women aged 18 years and over who report risky drinking, declining from 12.4 per cent (2007) to 9.2 per cent (2009).
Queenslanders who were sunburnt on a summer weekend
This graph shows the decline in the proportion of Queenslanders who practice unsafe sun exposure, that led to sunburn, needed to achieve the target by 2020.
Source: National Sun Protection Survey (baseline data from 2006-07) and current measure from 2009 Queensland Health CATI Survey. The baseline represents available data when Q2 was released on 8 September 2008.
Queenslanders are demonstrating greater sun safe behaviours with the proportion of people sunburnt declining from 15 per cent in 2006-07 to 13 per cent in 2009.
^ to top
Complementary indicators
- Increase in the proportion of Queensland adults who are physically active – Queenslanders are becoming more active with 56 per cent of adults engaging in enough physical activity for health benefits (30 minutes a day, at least five times a week), which is an increase of 3 per cent over the past year and a one-third increase since 2004.
- Increase in the proportion of Queenslanders who eat the recommended serve of fruit – Queenslander's consumption of fruit and vegetables has been increasing, with Queenslanders increasing their serves from 3.5 to 4.6 per adult per day. (Source: Queensland Health tracking data for the Go for 2&5 campaign).
^ to top
Progress toward the target
Reports
- Toward Q2: Tomorrow's Queensland Annual Progress Report 2008-09 provides detailed information on our progress toward the 10 targets over the first year.
- Self-Reported Health Status, Queensland (2009 Survey report) (PDF, 1.1 MB) (external site) provides a statewide summary of results from Queensland Health’s Self-Reported Health Status Survey on topics including general health, smoking, alcohol consumption, nutrition, physical activity, psychological distress, blood pressure, cholesterol, sunburn, sun-protective behaviours and diabetes. Reports for each health service district are also available.
- The Health of Queenslanders 2008: Prevention of Chronic Disease (external site) is a report from Queensland Health's Chief Health Officer to inform Queenslanders about the health status of the population, as described in the Queensland Health Action Plan 2005. This report is published every two years and commenced in 2006.
- Australia's health 2008 (external site) is the nation's premier source of statistics and informed commentary on: patterns and determinants of health and illness - health across the life stages - the supply and use of health services - expenditure and workforce - and health sector performance.
- The Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (external site) (ERASS) collects information on the frequency, duration, nature and type of physical activities that were participated in by persons aged 15 years and over for exercise, recreation or sport during the 12 months prior to interview. Participation means active ‘playing’ participation, and does not include coaching, refereeing and being a spectator, or activities related to work, household chores or gardening duties.
Case studies
A Better Choice
Queensland was the first state in Australia to undertake a statewide approach to improve food supply in health facilities with the introduction of A Better Choice Healthy Food and Drink Supply Strategy for Queensland Health Facilities in September 2007. The strategy became mandatory from 1 September 2008 and is aimed at working toward increasing healthier options to at least 80 per cent of foods and drinks on display while restricting less healthy options to no more than 20 per cent on display.
Healthy Queensland Awards
The Healthy Queensland Awards invite Queenslanders to share their healthy living initiatives in three categories: communities; schools and workplaces. The inaugural competition was held this year, with more than 330 entries received, and 191 entries short listed for visits by the independent judges. The final four winners and seven highly commended entries are collectively sharing the $1.6 million prize pool.
^ to top
More information
Further reading
- Queenslanders tackling chronic disease: becoming Australia's healthiest state (external site) provides the Queensland Government with a blueprint to achieve the ambition set out in Towards Q2: Tomorrow's Queensland, to make Queenslanders Australia's healthiest people. It recommends a number of actions for the government to lead the way in achieving the Q2 healthy ambition, by taking a whole-of-Government approach, investing in prevention, driving enduring behavioural change, making the healthy choice the easy choice and using new technologies for early detection and screening programs.
- Government Response to the report on Queenslanders tackling chronic disease: becoming Australia's healthiest state (external site) is the Queensland Government’s response to the Smart State Council’s Queenslanders tackling chronic disease: becoming Australia's healthiest state report.
- Health at a glance 2009: OECD indicators (external site) outlines the current Australian trends for health, noting that for Australians, consistent with Queensland trends, smoking has decreased but obesity has increased. Australia is ranked fourth worst in terms of adult obesity rates, following the United States, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Half or more of the adult population is currently defined as being either overweight or obese in no less than 13 OECD countries, including Australia.
Useful links
Last updated Tuesday, February 23, 2010
^ to top
