Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enjoy long and healthy lives.

Close the Gap in life expectancy within a generation, by 2031.

Prevalence rates of health risk factors (smoking, alcohol and drug use, overweight and obese, dietary factors, physical activity).

There are seven measures for this indicator.

Measure 1 is the rate of daily smoking, defined as:

Numerator – number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over who smoke daily

Denominator – total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over

and is presented as a percentage

Measure 2 is the rate of lifetime risky alcohol consumption, defined as:

Numerator – number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over who reported lifetime risky alcohol consumption

Denominator – total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over

and is presented as a percentage

Measure 3 is the rate of illicit substance abuse, defined as:

Numerator – number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over who reported they had used an illicit substance in the last 12 months

Denominator – total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over

and is presented as a percentage

Measure 4 is the rate of people overweight and obese, defined as:

Numerator – number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over who are overweight or obese

Denominator – total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over

and is presented as a percentage

Measure 5 is the rate of adequate daily vegetable intake defined as:

Numerator – number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over who reported adequate daily vegetable intake

Denominator – total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over

and is presented as a percentage

Measure 6 is the rate of adequate daily fruit intake defined as:

Numerator – number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over who reported adequate daily fruit intake

Denominator – total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over

and is presented as a percentage

Measure 7 is the rate of sufficient daily physical activity, defined as:

Numerator – number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over who reported sufficient daily physical activity

Denominator – total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over

and is presented as a percentage.

National Agreement on Closing the Gap July 2020

31 July 2024

Driver

Measures 1, 2, 3 and 4

A low or decreasing rate is desirable.

Measures 5, 6 and 7

A high or increasing rate is desirable.

Name: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS), National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS); National Health Survey (NHS)

Frequency: Periodic

Documentation (links): https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples/national-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-health-survey/2018-19

Provider name: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Provider area: Health Statistics

Measures 1, 2 and 3

2004-05

Measures 4, 5 and 6

2012-13 (2011-12 non-Indigenous)

Measure 7

2018-19 (2017-18 non-Indigenous)

All measures

2018-19 (2017-18 non-Indigenous)

Measures 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7

State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status

Measure 3

State and territory and Australia

Numerator divided by Denominator multiplied by 100

Age-standardised rates are provided to allow for comparisons between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous people. Age‑standardised rates are calculated using the direct method of age standardisation. For this indicator, the age groups used are: 18–24; 25–34; 35–44; 45–54; 55 and over. See the How to interpret the data page for more information.

Counting rules

The data relates to people living in private dwellings in remote and non‑remote areas of Australia, including discrete Indigenous communities. Data for non‑Indigenous people excludes people from very remote areas.

Geographical variables are based on a person's place of usual residence.

Measure 1

The numerator data includes persons who smoked daily.

Measure 2

Alcohol consumption risk level is calculated on exceeding the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Australian Alcohol Guidelines 2009. For lifetime risk this is two or more standard drinks per day on average. For more information see: Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol | NHMRC

Measure 3

The use of substances for non-medical purposes by a person in the 12 months prior to interview including:

• analgesics and sedatives for nonmedical use (pain killers, tranquillisers or sleeping pills)
• amphetamines, ice or speed
• ecstasy or other designer drugs
• marijuana, hashish or cannabis resin
• other substances (heroin, methadone, cocaine, hallucinogens (LSD/synthetic/naturally occurring), petrol, other inhalants, kava, and other substances).

Measure 4

Body Mass Index (BMI) is derived from a person’s height and weight information, using the formula weight (kilograms) divided by the square of height (metres). For adults, obesity is defined as a BMI of greater than or equal to 30.0 or overweight is defined as a BMI of 25.0–29.9.

Measure 5

The 2013 NHMRC Australian Dietary Guidelines have been applied as follows: at least five serves of vegetables for people aged nine or over, with the exception of males aged 18 to 49 years – at least six serves. For more information see: Australian Dietary Guidelines | NHMRC

Measure 6

The 2013 NHMRC Australian Dietary Guidelines have been applied as follows: two serves of fruit per day for people aged nine or over. For more information see: Australian Dietary Guidelines | NHMRC

Measure 7

Physical activity data is applicable to persons 18 years or over in non‑remote areas only. Physical Activity Guidelines are based on Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines which differ by age group. Physical activity includes walking for transport, walking for fitness, sport or recreation, moderate exercise and/or vigorous exercise, which was undertaken in the last week.

For more information see: Physical activity and exercise guidelines for all Australians | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

Supporting calculations

• 95% confidence intervals. See the How to interpret data for further information: How to interpret the data.

See NATSIHS explanatory notes for further information: https://www.abs.gov.au/methodologies/national-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-health-survey-methodology/2018-19

Estimates that have a relative standard error between 25% and 50% should be used with caution. Estimates with a relative standard error of 50% or more are considered too unreliable for general use.

Data values have been randomly adjusted using perturbation to avoid the release of confidential data. Discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items and totals. Proportions calculated for small populations should be used with caution. See the How to interpret the data page for further information.

Measure 2

The data from the 2008 and 2014-15 NATSISS is not directly comparable with the data from 2004-05, 2012-13 and 2018-19 NATSIHS, due to differences in the question modules on alcohol consumption:

• in the NATSIHS (2009 guidelines), a person was considered to have exceeded the lifetime risk guideline if they had consumed more than two standard drinks per day on average in the last week
• in the NATSISS, lifetime risk (2009 guidelines) was based on a person's reported usual daily consumption of alcohol and the frequency of consumption in the 12 months prior to interview.

Measure 3

The collection method for the substance abuse topic varied between non-remote and remote areas.

• In non-remote areas, people had the option to answer questions using a self-completed computer based questionnaire.
• In remote areas, people were asked questions by an interviewer.

The health risk definitions in the NATSIHS, NATSISS and NHS are according to NHMRC guidelines and may not be appropriate for all scenarios. For example, survey responses to kava usage (which may be part of cultural practice for some respondents) is counted in the substance abuse question in the same category as heroin usage.

Substance use is also likely to be under-reported.

• Responses to these questions were voluntary, with respondents not required to answer all questions.
• The potentially sensitive and personal nature of the questions may have impacted on people’s willingness to respond and the responses they provided.
• Under-reporting of substance use may be more common in remote areas as people provided their responses directly to the interviewer and may have had other household members present at the interview.
• The extent to which under-reporting has occurred is not able to be quantified.

Measure 4

BMI data in the 2004‑05 NATSIHS were collected by self‑reported height and weight and are not comparable to 2012‑13 and 2018-19 data which were collected by measured height and weight.

In the 2018‑19 NATSIHS, 39.9% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander respondents aged 18 or over did not have their height, weight or both measured. Respondents with missing height and weight values received a donor record response from a similar respondent, a process known as ‘imputation’. Comparisons with earlier years should only be made for proportions (which are comparable with earlier years) and not numbers of people (as imputation on physical measurement data was not done for earlier surveys).

Measure 7

In the 2018‑19 NATSIHS, the workplace activity component of the 2014 Physical Activity Guidelines was excluded.

Future reporting will seek to include the following additional disaggregations:

• remoteness areas
• socio-economic status of the locality
• gender.