Obesity and its association with sociodemographic factors, health behaviours and health status among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adults in New South Wales, Australia

BackgroundHigh body mass index (BMI) is the second leading contributor to Australia’s burden of disease and is particularly prevalent among Aboriginal peoples. This paper aims to provide insight into factors relating to obesity among Aboriginal adults and Aboriginal–non-Aboriginal differences.MethodsCross-sectional analysis of data from the 45 and Up Study, comparing obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) prevalence and risk factors among 1515 Aboriginal and 213 301 non-Aboriginal adults in New South Wales. Age–sex-adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) for obesity by sociodemographic factors, health behaviours and health status were estimated (multivariable log-binomial regression) for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participants separately. We quantified the extent to which key factors (physical activity, screen time, education, remoteness, area-level disadvantage) accounted for any excess Aboriginal obesity prevalence.ResultsObesity prevalence was 39% among Aboriginal and 22% among non-Aboriginal participants (PR=1.65, 95% CI 1.55 to 1.76). Risk factors for obesity were generally similar for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participants and included individual-level and area-level disadvantage, physical inactivity, and poor physical and mental health, with steeper gradients observed among non-Aboriginal participants for some factors (Pinteraction <0.05). Many risk factors were more common among Aboriginal versus non-Aboriginal participants; key factors accounted for >40% of the excess Aboriginal obesity prevalence.ConclusionA substantial proportion of the excess obesity prevalence among Aboriginal versus non-Aboriginal participants was explained by physical activity, screen time, education, remoteness and area-level disadvantage. Socioeconomic and health behaviour factors are potential targets for promoting healthy BMI, but these must be considered within the context of upstream social and cultural factors. Adults with health needs and disability require particular attention.

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Screen-time, obesity, ageing and disability: findings from 91 266 participants in the 45 and Up Study

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980010000674 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 34-43 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Emily Banks ◽

Louisa Jorm ◽

Kris Rogers ◽

Mark Clements ◽

Adrian Bauman

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Screen Time ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Full Time ◽

Obesity Prevalence ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

South Wales ◽

The Relationship

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the relationship between obesity and sedentary behaviours, such as watching television or using a computer (‘screen-time’), and describe how this relationship varies between population subgroups.DesignCross-sectional analysis of the relationship between obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and screen-time, adjusted for age, sex, income and education and compared according to a range of personal characteristics.SettingNew South Wales, Australia.SubjectsA total of 91 266 men and women aged 45 years and above from the general population of New South Wales in 2006–2007 and providing self-reported information on height and weight and other factors.ResultsObesity prevalence was 21·4 %. Compared to individuals with <2 h of daily screen-time, the adjusted relative risks (RR) of obesity were 1·35 (95 % CI 1·26, 1·44), 1·70 (95 % CI 1·59, 1·82), 1·94 (95 % CI 1·81, 2·08) and 1·92 (95 % CI 1·80, 2·06) for 2–3, 4–5, 6–7 and ≥8 h, respectively. The increase in obesity with increasing screen-time was similar within categories of overall physical activity, but was attenuated in those in full-time paid work, compared to non-workers (P for interaction < 0·0001). Among non-workers, the overall obesity RR per 2 h increase in daily screen-time was 1·23 (95 % CI 1·21, 1·25) and was significantly elevated in all groups examined, ranging from 1·16 to 1·31 according to sex, level of age, education, income, smoking and fruit consumption. The RR did not differ significantly according to overall physical activity, region of residence and alcohol and vegetable consumption, but was substantially lower in disabled v. not-disabled individuals (P for interaction < 0·0001).ConclusionsObesity increases with increasing screen-time, independent of purposeful physical activity. This was observed in all population groups examined, although it is attenuated in full-time workers and disabled individuals.

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Monitoring health behaviours and health status in New South Wales: Release of the Adult Health Survey 2002

New South Wales Public Health Bulletin ◽

10.1071/nb04014 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 63 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Health Survey ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Health Behaviours ◽

Adult Health ◽

South Wales

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Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours Are Associated With Children’s Psychological Health: a Cross-Sectional Analysis of Data From the New South Wales Child Population Health Survey 2013-2014

10.21203/rs.3.rs-61777/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Margaret Mary Thomas ◽

Jessica Gugusheff ◽

Heather Baldwin ◽

Joanne Gale ◽

Sinead Boylan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Population Health ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Screen Time ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

New South ◽

Lifestyle Behaviours ◽

South Wales

Abstract Background Despite numerous studies showing that diet and exercise influence mental health in children, there is limited data available from representative populations of children and adolescents on the relationship between regular healthy lifestyle behaviour and psychological health. Methods Data were obtained from the New South Wales Child Population Health Survey, 2013–2014. Parents were asked about diet, physical activity and screen time behaviours and completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for one child aged 5-15. Higher scores on the SDQ indicate poorer psychological health and risk for mental health problems. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models examined the relationships between dietary consumption, physical activity, screen time and SDQ scores, adjusting for potential confounding. Results Proportionally more children than adolescents met the guidelines for appropriate diet, physical activity and screen time behaviours. Meeting screen time recommendations was most strongly associated with a lower SDQ total difficulties score (5-10yrs: -1.56 (-2.68, -0.44); 11-15yrs: -2.12 (-3.11, -1.12)). Children and adolescents who met screen time recommendations were also significantly less likely to have any score in the at-risk range. In addition, children and adolescents meeting vegetable intake guidelines had a significantly lower total difficulties score (5-10yrs: -1.54 (-3.03,-0.05); 11-15yrs: -1.19 (-3.60,-0.39)), as did adolescents meeting discretionary food guidelines (-1.16 (-2.14,-0.18)) and children consuming the recommended fruit intake (-1.26 (-2.42,-0.10)).Conclusions Since adopting regular healthy lifestyle behaviours is associated with better psychological health among children and adolescents, it is imperative that appropriate and effective interventions are implemented to increase these healthy lifestyle behaviours among young Australians.

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Health literacy and health-promoting behaviours among Australian-Singaporean communities living in Sydney metropolitan area

Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare ◽

10.1177/2010105817741906 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 125-131 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Tze Gek Ho ◽

Hassan Hosseinzadeh ◽

Bayzidur Rahman ◽

Mohamud Sheikh

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Online Survey ◽

Health Behaviours ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Migrant Populations ◽

South Wales ◽

Health Promoting ◽

Smoking And Health

Background: Health literacy affects how individuals navigate and make decisions within the healthcare system and has been recognized to influence health behaviours. However, less is known about its associations with health-promoting behaviours amongst Australian migrant populations. This study is an attempt to fill this gap by investigating the level of health literacy and its associations with physical activity, healthy diet, smoking and health services utilization among Australian-Singaporean communities. Methods: A total of 157 participants were recruited from Singaporean communities living in Sydney metropolitan areas, New South Wales, Australia. Data was collected through a cross-sectional online survey from January 2016 to August 2016. Results: Most of the respondents were female (56.1%), employed (70.7%) and had lived in Sydney for >5 years (80.3%). About 60% of the participants were inadequately health-literate (Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool score ≤ 16). The level of health literacy varied significantly based on participants’ socioeconomic status. Regression analysis indicated that health literacy was a reliable predictor of health-promoting behaviours including diet, body mass index, smoking and alcohol consumption, physical activity and having a medical check-up. Conclusions: This study’s findings have significant implications for health policy makers and suggest that health literacy should be encouraged and included in any health-promoting behaviour interventions amongst migrant populations.

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Abstract 042: Accelerometer-measured Light Physical Activity is Heart Healthy in Older Women: The OPACH Study

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.137.suppl_1.042 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 137 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Andrea Z LaCroix ◽

John Bellettiere ◽

Eileen Rillamas-Sun ◽

Kelly R Evenson ◽

Chongzhi Di ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Health Status ◽

Older Women ◽

Cvd Risk Factors ◽

Light Physical Activity ◽

Cvd Risk ◽

Metabolic Equivalents ◽

Morbidity Score ◽

Co Morbidity

Background: The longstanding, prevailing paradigm in physical activity (PA) research and US PA guidelines is that moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for at least 150 minutes/week, preferably in increments of at least 10 minutes, is needed to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults. Because light physical activity (LPA; 1.1-<3 metabolic equivalents (METs)) is poorly measured by self-report, we know little about its association with CVD. Methods: Women’s Health Initiative participants in the OPACH Study (n=5861, mean age=78.5±6.7, 33.5% Black, 17.6% Hispanic) without a history of myocardial infarction or stroke wore accelerometers for up to 7 days and were followed for incident CVD for up to 4 years. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CVD and coronary heart disease (CHD) across awake wear time adjusted quartiles of MVPA and LPA. Fully adjusted models accounted for age, race-ethnicity, smoking, education, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, co-morbidity score, physical function, and self-rated health. We then examined the LPA association with CVD/CHD after adjustment for MVPA. Results: Higher levels of both LPA and MVPA were associated with reduced risks of CVD and CHD after adjusting for covariates (Table; p-trend <0.05, all). Women with the highest vs. lowest levels of MVPA had markedly reduced risks of CVD (31%) and CHD (50%). Women in the highest vs. lowest quartiles of LPA had 22% reduced risks of CVD and 39% reduced risks of CHD even after adjustment for many indicators of health status and CVD risk factors. The LPA association with CVD persisted after adjustment for MVPA (highest vs. lowest LPA quartile HR: 0.81 for CVD, p-trend=0.01; 0.74 for CHD, p-trend=0.04). Conclusions: LPA is associated with reduced risks of incident CVD and CHD in older women independent of health status indicators, CVD risk factors, and MVPA. Increasing levels of LPA is an achievable behavioral intervention for improving heart health in older women.

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Prevalence of chronic disease risk factors in 35- to 44-year-old humanitarian arrivals to New South Wales (NSW), Australia

Australian Journal of Primary Health ◽

10.1071/py18042 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 19 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Meena Chandra ◽

Anthea Duri ◽

Mitchell Smith

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Chronic Disease ◽

Disease Risk ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Indigenous Populations ◽

Indigenous Australian ◽

Australian Health ◽

Chronic Disease Risk ◽

South Wales

The aim of this study is to compare the prevalence of chronic disease risk factors in humanitarian arrivals to Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) with the Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations aged 35–44 years. Data on risk factors collected from 237 refugees presenting to the NSW Refugee Health Service (RHS) from January 2015 to August 2016 were retrospectively analysed and compared with data from the Australian Health Surveys, 2011–13 for the Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian populations. This study found significantly higher levels of triglycerides (z=3; 95% CI, 0.16–0.26); hypertension (z=3.2; 95% CI, 0.17–0.29); and smoking (z=3.5; 95% CI, 0.27–0.33) in refugees compared with the general Australian population. The Indigenous population had significantly higher levels of triglycerides (z=4; 95% CI, 0.16–0.26); body mass indexes (BMIs) (z=3.3; 95% CI 0.58–0.72); and smoking (z=5.4; 95 CI 0.27–0.33) compared with refugees. Based on the study findings, screening for chronic disease risk factors from age 35 years may be warranted in all humanitarian arrivals to Australia, along with dietary and lifestyle advice.

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Hepatitis B and C in New South Wales prisons: prevalence and risk factors

The Medical Journal of Australia ◽

10.5694/j.1326-5377.1997.tb140041.x ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 166 (3) ◽

pp. 127-130 ◽

Cited By ~ 70

Author(s):

Tony G Butler ◽

Kate A Dolan ◽

Mark J Ferson ◽

Linda M McGuinness ◽

Phillip R Brown ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Hepatitis B ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

South Wales

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Sociodemographic factors associated with food insecurity: data from the 2003–2014 New South Wales Population Health Survey

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980019005159 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 23 (11) ◽

pp. 1857-1867

Author(s):

Paraskevi Drakoulidou ◽

Bradley Drayton ◽

Leah Shepherd ◽

Seema Mihrshahi

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

Population Health ◽

Health Survey ◽

Smoking Status ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

South Wales

AbstractObjective:To determine the prevalence and sociodemographic factors associated with food insecurity in the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia.Design:Cross-sectional analysis of food insecurity data collected by the NSW Population Health Survey between 2003 and 2014. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine associations with key sociodemographic variables.Setting:NSW, Australia.Participants:212 608 survey participants responded to the food insecurity survey question between 2003 and 2014. 150 767 of them were aged ≥16 years. The survey sample was randomly selected and weighted to be representative of the NSW population.Results:On average 6 % of adults aged ≥16 years experienced food insecurity in NSW. The odds of food insecurity appeared to increase from one survey year to the next by a factor of 1·05. Food insecurity was found to be independently associated with age, sex, marital status, household size, education, employment status, household income, smoking status, alcohol intake and self-rated health. The association with income, smoking status and self-rated health appeared to be the strongest among all covariates and showed a gradient effect. Food insecurity appeared to increase significantly between the age of 16 and 19 years.Conclusions:The prevalence of food insecurity appears to be rising over time. Given the negative health consequences of food insecurity, more rigorous measurement and monitoring of food insecurity in NSW and nationally is strongly recommended. The findings provide support for interventions targeting low-income and younger population groups.

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Drought, Wellbeing and Adaptive Capacity: Why Do Some People Stay Well?

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17197214 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (19) ◽

pp. 7214

Author(s):

Emma K. Austin ◽

Tonelle Handley ◽

Anthony S. Kiem ◽

Jane L. Rich ◽

David Perkins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Adaptive Capacity ◽

Online Survey ◽

New South ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Strongly Correlated ◽

Drought Condition ◽

South Wales ◽

Related Stress ◽

The Relationship

Drought is a threat to public health. Individual and community adaptive capacity is crucial when responding to the impacts of drought. Gaps remain in the understandings of the relationship between wellbeing and adaptive capacity, and whether increased wellbeing can lead to improved adaptive capacity (or vice versa). This paper explores the relationship between drought, wellbeing and adaptive capacity to provide insights that will inform actions to enhance adaptive capacity, and hence increase opportunities for effective drought adaptation. The theory of salutogenesis and the associated sense of coherence (SOC) are used to measure adaptive capacity and to explain why some individuals remain well and adapt to adversity while others do not. An online survey of rural residents (n = 163) in drought-affected New South Wales (NSW), Australia, was conducted from November 2018 to January 2019. Linear regression was used to model the relationships between SOC, sociodemographic factors, drought and wellbeing. Findings demonstrate that SOC is strongly correlated with wellbeing. Drought condition did not influence adaptive capacity, although adaptive capacity and drought-related stress were only weakly correlated. Increased wellbeing was found to be associated with stronger adaptive capacity and therefore, an individuals’ capacity to cope with adversity, such as drought.

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