Contrary to the perceived wisdom that regional/rural dwellers are generally less healthy than their urban counterparts, the latest survey of Australian households says children in non-urban areas are reportedly healthier than their city cousins, with the latter group undertaking a greater number of GP visits.
Another reported paradox is that activity levels are positively associated with relatively high alcohol consumption (15-42 drinks per week) for males, and moderate alcohol consumption (11-14 drinks per week) for females. Further, being a smoker is not associated with any effects on activity levels for females, while for males it is - “surprisingly”, as the survey observed - associated with a higher activity level than that of non-smokers.
The 11th Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey was authored by Prof Roger Wilkins from The University of Melbourne’s Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, and funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.
The survey also found that non-urban children are less likely to be admitted to hospital than city kids, and are “considerably more likely” to have seen a dentist in the last two years.
However, it appears that a truer divide may relate to the socio-economic status of residential areas, as living in a more advantaged place appears to be associated with better reported health and fewer GP visits.
The HILDA Survey annually collects information on a wide range of aspects of life in Australia, including household and family relationships, child care, employment, education, income, expenditure, health and wellbeing, attitudes and values on a variety of subjects, and various life events and experiences.
Information is also collected at less frequent intervals on various topics, including household wealth, fertility related behaviour and plans, relationships with non-resident family members and non-resident partners, health care utilisation, eating habits, cognitive functioning and retirement.
The important distinguishing feature of HILDA is that the same households and individuals are interviewed every year, enabling insight to how their lives are changing over time.
