Sixteen-year trends in multiple lifestyle risk behaviours by socioeconomic status from 2004 to 2019 in New South Wales, Australia

Bibliographic Data

ID19595013
AuthorsBinh Nguyen (0000-0002-9501-4397, The University of Sydney, corresponding author), Janette L Smith (0000-0001-8896-1188, The University of Sydney, corresponding author), Janette Smith, Philip J Clare (0000-0002-2009-7386, The University of Sydney, corresponding author), Philip Clare, Philayrath Phongsavan (0000-0003-2460-5031, The University of Sydney, corresponding author), Leonie Cranney (0000-0002-9441-5703, The University of Sydney, corresponding author), Ding (0000-0001-9850-9224, The University of Sydney, corresponding author), Ding Ding (0000-0002-3260-7515)
EditorsBadal Kumar Datta (0000-0002-2559-850X)
Year2023
Volume3
Issue2
Pagese0001606
Publication date2023-02-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePLOS Global Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2767-3375 • E-ISSN: 2767-3375
PublisherPublic Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1371/journal.pgph.0001606
PMID36962925
OpenAlexW4320908750
LanguageEN
References cited36

Few studies have examined trends in inequalities related to lifestyle risk behaviours. This study examined 1) 16-year (2004–2019) trends of individual lifestyle risk factors and a combined lifestyle risk index and 2) trends in socioeconomic inequalities in these risk factors, in New South Wales (NSW; Australia) adults. Data was sourced from the NSW Adult Population Health Survey, an annual telephone survey of NSW residents aged ≥16 years, totalling 191,905 completed surveys. Excessive alcohol consumption, current smoking, insufficient physical activity, insufficient fruit and/or vegetable consumption, sugar-sweetened beverage [SSB] consumption, and a combined lifestyle risk index (overall high-risk lifestyle defined as total number of lifestyle risk behaviours ≥2) were examined. Socioeconomic status was assessed using education attainment, postal area-level disadvantage measured by Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage (IRSD), and remoteness based on Accessibility-Remoteness Index of Australia Plus (ARIA+). Socioeconomic inequalities were examined as prevalence difference for absolute inequalities and prevalence ratio for relative inequalities. The prevalence of lifestyle behaviours by levels of each socioeconomic status variable were estimated using predicted probabilities from logistic regression models. After adjusting for covariates, there was a decrease in prevalence over time for most lifestyle risk behaviours. Between 2004 and 2019, the prevalence decreased for current smoking from 21.8% to 17.1%, insufficient physical activity from 39.1% to 30.9%, excessive alcohol consumption from 15.4% to 13.7%, daily SSB consumption from 29.9% to 21.2%, and overall high-risk lifestyle from 50.4% to 43.7%. Socioeconomic inequalities, based on one or more of the socioeconomic variables, increased over time for current smoking, insufficient physical activity, daily SSB consumption, and an overall high-risk lifestyle. Overall, the health behaviours of the NSW population improved between 2004 and 2019. However, some socioeconomic inequalities increased during this time, highlighting the need for effective public health strategies that seek to improve health behaviours among the most socioeconomically disadvantaged

Environmental health · Geography · Population · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Demography · Health disparities and outcomes · Medicine · Nutritional Studies and Diet · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Gerontology

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