Tasmania releases population health survey results: smoking rate rises to 15%, with about 4% current

The Public Health Service has released the results of the 2022 Tasmania Population Health Survey (TPHS).

In the latest TPHS, over 4,000 Tasmanians participated in the survey, revealing a mixed picture of our community's health and well-being since the last survey in 2019.

Standard questions have been asked since 2009, while the 2022 TPHS also included new questions about mental health, well-being, social connections, e-cigarettes, non-essential food, and access to general practitioner and dental services. These topics were added after consultations with stakeholders regarding emerging issues, data needs, and data gaps.

Dr. Mark Veitch, Director of Public Health, stated that the survey provides valuable findings to guide the planning of services and programs to improve community health and well-being.

Dr. Veitch said, "The information collected through the survey helps assess the health status of Tasmanians over time and understand emerging health issues."

"These results show that more Tasmanians are now incorporating physical activity into their daily lives by walking, running, or cycling to destinations. Active travel has significantly increased from 34% in 2019 to 54% in 2022.
"Equally encouraging is that most Tasmanians rate their overall mental health, physical health, and life satisfaction as high or very high."

In the recent survey, the proportion of households using wood heaters as the primary source of heating dropped from 30% in 2019 to 23% in 2022. Smoke pollution from wood heaters can exacerbate existing health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. Long-term exposure to wood heater smoke can also lead to heart and lung diseases, diabetes, and stroke.

Dr. Veitch said, "However, the survey outlines some ongoing areas of concern, such as smoking, fruit and vegetable consumption, food security, and obesity, as well as other emerging areas like e-cigarettes."

The number of smokers has increased to 15%, up from 12% in 2019. In 2009, 20% of the adult population were "current smokers."

"This is the first time we have seen an increase in smoking rates since the first survey in 2009. The largest increase was seen in the 35 to 44 age group—rising from 15% in 2019 to 22% in 2022."

The recent survey included new questions about e-cigarettes for the first time. 4% of Tasmanians regularly use e-cigarettes.

"The survey found that the proportion of people reporting a body mass index in the obese range is similar to the results from 2019 (28% in 2019, 29% in 2022), while the proportion of those overweight is (30% in 2019, 34% in 2022)."

Dr. Veitch said, "Only 6% of the population met the recommended vegetable intake guidelines, similar to 2019. One-third of Tasmanians met the fruit intake guidelines, down from 46% in 2019."

"Particularly concerning is that one in ten Tasmanians reported experiencing serious food security issues at least once in the past 12 months, meaning they ran out of food and could not buy more. Among those severely affected by food security issues, one in ten reported that this happened weekly."

Health Minister Guy Barnett acknowledged the need highlighted by this survey to continue efforts to improve the health and well-being of Tasmanians.

He said, "Our Health Tasmania Five-Year Strategic Plan launched last year aims to bring together communities, services, and all levels of government to work together to enable Tasmanians to live their best lives for as long as possible."

"A key part of the plan is our Health Tasmania Grants, which support local organizations to help Tasmanians engage more with their communities, have positive mental health and well-being, limit harmful alcohol use, remain smoke-free, eat healthily, and lead more active lives."

"We are committed to preventing young people from smoking and supporting people to quit. Our strategic actions in this regard are guided by the Tasmania Tobacco Action Plan 2022-2026, which outlines various approaches such as promoting smoking cessation support, ongoing education, and continued regulation of tobacco products (including e-cigarettes)."