NAB Health's annual health insights report has revealed how Australians feel about their health, how they manage it and the challenges that they face.
One in two people (47%) live with an ongoing medical condition, rising to more than three-quarters (78%) among the over-65s, according to the report, How healthy are Australians and what stops them taking better care of their own health?.
However, most believe they are ultimately responsible for their own health by adopting a healthy lifestyle, including maintaining a healthy weight, exercising and avoiding health risk behaviours such as smoking and drinking excess alcohol.
This highlights the important, front-line role that pharmacists play in supporting Australians to take charge of their health, the report authors suggested.
Income is a significant factor in health, with noticeably more people in the lower income group (62%) needing ongoing treatment or medication for a medical condition than in the higher income group (40%).
The survey found that many Australians struggle with mental health illness or disorders, such as depression, anxiety, personality disorders, eating disorders, trauma-related disorders and substance abuse disorders.
On a positive note, the 2024-25 survey discovered that lower numbers had a diagnosed mental health illness or disorder in the last 12 months compared to last year's survey (down to 16% from 18% a year ago) or were diagnosed at some point in their life (30% versus 32%).
Around 21% of the current survey group said they smoked or vaped, the same percentage as last year.
The survey also looked at the sale of vapes in pharmacies, with around half strongly supporting the restriction of sale of vapes.
Around seven in 10 (68%) agreed strongly that under 18s should require a prescription to purchase vapes, with fewer than one in 10 (8%) in low agreement.
A focus on dental health showed that while three-quarters of people clean their teeth twice a day, only half (52%) have regular check-ups at the dentist every six to 12 months, and only four in 10 (38%) floss every day.
Read the report HERE. KB
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 10 Jun 25
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