2022 ACT General Health Survey Statistical Report

Executive summary

What is the ACT General Health Survey

The ACT General Health Survey (ACTGHS) is an annual survey that has been conducted by ACT Health since 2007. The survey asks ACT residents questions about traditional health risk factors as well as broader factors that impact on wellbeing. Since 2019, a version of the survey emphasising questions related to wellbeing has been conducted once every 3 years. A wellbeing questionnaire was used in the 2022 survey.

The ACTGHS is a valuable tool for monitoring health-related trends in the ACT and for informing health service planning and policy development. In 2022, complete responses for 2,002 Canberrans aged 18 years and over were collected as part of the survey.

What is in this report

This report presents the results for key health and wellbeing indicators in the 2022 ACTGHS. Results are presented by age group and by gender, although only results for males and females have been separately reported due to small numbers in the other gender categories. Comparisons were made between groups where appropriate.

In the results section of this report indicators are grouped together in sections containing indicators relevant to particular topics. The topics in this report are listed below:

Overall health
Mental health and wellbeing
Weight status
Physical activity
Food and nutrition
Substance use
Social determinants of wellbeing
Financial wellbeing

Information on how to use this report, including information on interpreting figures and tables, can be found in the Using this report section. To learn more about this report’s methodology see Appendix B.

Report at a glance

46.8% of adult Canberrans considered their overall health to be very good or excellent. Self-rated health was relatively consistent across age groups and between males and females.

FULL RESULTS
76.1 was the mean Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) score of Canberrans. Canberrans aged 65 years and over had a mean PWI score of 80.4, significantly higher than that of any other age group.

FULL RESULTS
1 in 3 females had a diagnosed mental health condition compared to 1 in 5 males. Females were also significantly more likely than males to have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

FULL RESULTS
38.8% of males had recently consumed more than 4 standard drinks on one occasion compared to 20.9% of females. This kind of risky drinking was significantly more common among those aged 18⁠–⁠24 years than among any other age group.

FULL RESULTS
21.0% of respondents in the 18⁠–⁠24 year age group smoked daily or occasionally, significantly more than those aged 25⁠–⁠44 years (9.6%) or 65+ years (4.6%). Only 44.0% of 18⁠–⁠24 year-olds had never smoked.

FULL RESULTS
Over 60% of those aged 18⁠–⁠24 years had either tried e‑cigarettes in the past or used e‑cigarettes regularly, significantly more than any other age group. Almost 3 in 10 respondents in this age group reported using e‑cigarettes regularly.

FULL RESULTS
22.5% of females had experienced discrimination in the past 12 months, a significantly higher proportion than males (14.6%). The most commonly cited reasons for a recent experience of discrimination were race, gender and age.

FULL RESULTS
55.9% of females reported feeling safe or very safe walking their local area after dark compared to 86.3% of males.

FULL RESULTS

Project background

The ACT General Health Survey (ACTGHS) has been undertaken annually since 2007 as a way of monitoring health-related trends in the ACT and supporting health service planning and policy development. The relative size of the ACT population in relation to the other states and territories in Australia means national surveys typically only sample a small number of respondents from the ACT, limiting the reliability of findings that can be drawn. National surveys are also unable to focus exclusively on issues of most importance to the ACT and are often conducted at irregular intervals. The main objective of the ACTGHS is to provide ACT-specific health and wellbeing data.

The content of the ACTGHS is routinely reviewed and updated. Up until 2018, the ACTGHS collected information about traditional chronic disease risk factors such as nutrition, physical activity, obesity, alcohol and smoking from 1,200 adults and 500 children. In 2019, the scope of the ACTGHS was extended beyond traditional chronic disease risk factors to include broader factors that influence health and wellbeing. It is intended that the wellbeing component of the survey will be conducted every third year in a three-year cycle (Table 1). In 2022, the ACTGHS was based on the 2019 survey and collected information from adults about both broader factors that influence wellbeing and more traditional risk factors.

Table 1: Survey scope and sample size of ACT General Health Surveys, 2018-2024
Survey scope (sample size)	Year
Survey scope (sample size)	2018^a	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Risk factors and child wellbeing (1,200 adults + 1,000 children)	✓		✓	✓		✓	✓
Wellbeing (2,000 adults)		✓			✓
^a The size of the child sample for the 2018 risk factors and child wellbeing survey was 500. All risk factors and child wellbeing surveys since have had a child sample of 1,000.

Using this report

Results in this report are reported by indicator. For each indicator, a description is presented followed by results for 2022. Select statistics are presented in the body of the report, while the complete results are given in tables and figures. In the tables and figures, results are broken down by age group and by gender. Where statistical significance is referenced in this report, the measure of statistical significance used is non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals. This is a conservative measure of statistical significance, meaning marginally significantly different estimates may, in some cases, be classified as not statistically significant.

In this report, tables are used to report overall results for an indicator and to report results broken down by age group and gender (Figure 1). In the tables, estimates with relative standard errors (RSE) between 25% and 50% are flagged with a hash (#) to indicate they should be interpreted with caution. Estimates with RSE greater than 50% or based on a numerator less than 10 have been withheld and are represented by (n.p). Additionally, estimates for males and females where there is a statistically significant difference between the 2 estimates have been marked with an asterisk (🞶).

In this report, column graphs are used to report results by age group and gender, with the height of the column corresponding to the size of the estimate (Figure 2). Estimates with a RSE between 25% and 50% are displayed in striped columns, while estimates with lower RSE are shown in columns of one colour. Where estimates have been withheld due to low reliability, this is flagged by a symbol (⧗). Error bars in the figures represent 95% confidence intervals, and where 95% confidence intervals for different groups do not overlap, significance brackets have been added to flag statistical significance. Statistically significant differences in estimates for different age groups are flagged in figures, but not in tables.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 1: Guide to interpreting tables in this report

Figure 2: Guide to interpreting figures in this report

Results

Sample characteristics

In total, interviews were completed for 2,002 adult Canberrans aged 18 years or older for the 2022 ACTGHS. Of the respondents, 46% were male and 54% were female. Of the survey sample, 72% of respondents were born in Australia. While 4% of respondents were aged 18⁠–⁠24 years, 20% were aged 65 years or older.

For further information on the sample characteristics see Characteristics of the sample in Appendix B.

Overall health

Self-rated health

About this indicator

Self-rated health is one of the most frequently used measures in epidemiological, clinical and social research. It has been shown to predict mortality, future functional status and outcome of treatment in populations that vary by age, gender, social class, health status, country and culture.^1,2

The self-rated health measure is produced by asking survey respondents to rate their health during the past 4 weeks. The response options are:

excellent
very good
good
fair
poor.

To ensure there is a large enough sample in each category to allow reliable reporting of results, the “excellent” and “very good” categories were combined and the “fair” and “poor” categories were combined.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 46.8% of adult Canberrans considered their overall health to be very good or excellent, while 19.9 % considered their overall health to be either fair or poor (Table 2; Figure 3).

Figure 3

Table 2

Table 2: Self-rated health by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Excellent/Very good	45.7	46.2	47.7	47.6	47.2	46.7	46.8
Good	35.2	34.5	32.2	31.1	34.1	32.2	33.3
Fair/Poor	19.1	19.3	20.1	21.4	18.6	21.1	19.9

Figure 3: Self-rated health by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Disability status

About this indicator

Understanding the prevalence of disability in the ACT community and the characteristics of those impacted by disability is critical to informing the provision and planning of services that enable people with a disability to participate fully in society.

This measure is produced by asking respondents whether they had a disability, health condition or injury that restricted everyday activities and had lasted, or was likely to last, 6 months or more.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 21.1% of adult Canberrans had a disability, while 78.9% did not have a disability (Table 3; Figure 4).

Across the age groups, 19.4% in the 18⁠–⁠24 year age group reported having a disability compared to 16.1% in the 25⁠–⁠44 year age group, 24.5% in the 45⁠–⁠64 year age group and 29.5% in the 65+ year age group. Prevalence of disability was significantly higher in the 65+ year age group than in the 25⁠–⁠44 year age group.

Figure 4

Table 3

Table 3: Disability status by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Has a disability, health condition or injury	19.4	16.1	24.5	29.5	19.4	22.6	21.1
No disability, health condition or injury	80.6	83.9	75.5	70.5	80.6	77.4	78.9

Figure 4: Disability status by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Mental health and wellbeing

Self-rated mental health

About this indicator

This indicator assesses respondents’ perceptions of their own mental health. Negative responses on these single-item measures of mental health have been found to be associated with other negative outcomes and with social determinants of health.³ Conversely, research suggests positive responses on self-rated mental health measures among individuals with a mental problem can predict a lower chance of mental health problems at followup.⁴

The self-rated mental health measure is produced by asking survey respondents to rate their mental health during the past 4 weeks. The response options given are:

excellent
very good
good
fair
poor.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 48.7% of adult Canberrans were experiencing excellent or very good mental health compared to 18.6% of Canberrans who were experiencing fair or poor mental health (Table 4; Figure 5).

The proportion of females who described their mental health as very good or excellent was 44.1%, compared to 53.6% among males. This difference between males and females was statistically significant.

In the 65+ year age group, 58.1% of respondents described their mental health as excellent or very good. This was the highest proportion of any age group and significantly higher than the proportions in the 18⁠–⁠24 year age group and the 25⁠–⁠44 year age group.

Figure 5

Table 4

Table 4: Self-rated mental health by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Excellent/Very good	36.0	45.2	52.3	58.1	53.6^🞶	44.1^🞶	48.7
Good	34.4	34.6	31.8	28.2	29.8	35.5	32.7
Fair/Poor	29.7	20.2	15.8	13.7	16.6	20.4	18.6
^🞶There is a statistically significant difference in the estimates between males and females.

Figure 5: Self-rated mental health by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Diagnosed mental health conditions

About this indicator

Understanding the prevalence of different mental health conditions in the ACT community can inform policies and programs to support individuals with these conditions. To produce this measure, respondents were asked whether they had been told by a doctor that they have a mental health condition in the past 12 months. This includes both cases where respondents were diagnosed in the past 12 months and cases where respondents consulted with a doctor regarding an ongoing condition in the past 12 months.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 28.1% of adult Canberrans had been told by a doctor that they had a mental health condition in the past 12 months (Table 5; Figure 6). Anxiety was reported by 19.3% of Canberrans, while depression was reported by 15.5%.

Of those Canberrans with a diagnosed mental health condition, 73.5% reported that they were currently receiving mental health treatment.

The proportion of females who reported having a diagnosed mental health condition was 35.0%, compared to 20.6% among males. This difference between males and females was statistically significant.

Canberrans in the 18⁠–⁠24 year age group were more likely than those in any other age group to report having a mental health condition although the difference was not statistically significant.

Figure 6

Table 5

Table 5: Diagnosed mental health conditions by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Any mental health condition	35.1	31.2	25.2	21.4	20.6^🞶	35.0^🞶	28.1
Anxiety	28.1	22.9	14.1	14.3	13.3^🞶	24.7^🞶	19.3
Depression	24.6	17.2	11.0	13.9	11.6^🞶	18.8^🞶	15.5
Stress‑related problem	11.1^#	16.6	15.5	11.1	11.7^🞶	17.8^🞶	14.9
Other mental health condition	16.5^#	9.1	4.4	2.8^#	6.3	8.1	7.3
Currently receiving treatment^a	80.2	74.0	73.0	67.4	71.6	74.6	73.5
^#Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
^🞶There is a statistically significant difference in the estimates between males and females.
^a Percentage of those with a diagnosed mental health condition

Figure 6: Diagnosed mental health conditions by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Kessler psychological distress

About this indicator

The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) is a measure that is commonly used to assess probable serious mental illness.⁵ The scale is made up of 6 statements to assess a person’s psychological status over the preceding month.⁶ To produce a K6 score, respondents were asked how often in the previous 4 weeks they felt:

nervous
hopeless
restless or fidgety
that everything was an effort
so sad that nothing could cheer them up
worthless.

Possible responses were:

none of the time
a little of the time
some of the time
most of the time
all of the time.

Responses to each question were then scored, with none of the time equating to a score of 1 and all of the time equating to a score of 5.⁵ For each participant, the scores across the 5 statements were summed, giving a total score in the range of 6 to 30. If a respondent was missing one value, the missing value was replaced with the mean of the 5 non-missing values. If a respondent was missing more than one value, they were excluded from the analysis.

This measure reports the percentage of respondents with a K6 score that indicates probable serious mental illness, which is any score between 19 and 30.⁵

Results

In the 2022 ACTGHS, 6.3% of adult Canberrans exhibited scores on the K6 that were indicative of probable mental illness, while 93.7% exhibited K6 scores that did not indicate probable mental illness (Table 6; Figure 7).

The proportion of females who exhibited a K6 score indicating probable mental illness was 7.7%, compared to 4.9% of males. This difference between males and females was not statistically significant.

Figure 7

Table 6

Table 6: K6 outcome by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Kessler Psychological Scale score indicates:
Probable mental illness	(n.p)	8.4	3.4	4.0^#	4.9	7.7	6.3
No probable mental illness	90.4	91.6	96.6	96.0	95.1	92.3	93.7
(n.p) Estimate not published due to relative standard error greater than 50% or small numbers.
^#Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.

Figure 7: K6 outcome by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Personal wellbeing index

About this indicator

The Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) is a metric that is intended to provide a simple measure of overall wellbeing.⁷ Participants were asked to rate their satisfaction with 9 areas of their life on a scale of 0-10, where 0 is completely dissatisfied and 10 is completely satisfied. The 9 areas assessed were:

standard of living
health
achievements
personal relationships
feelings of safety
feeling part of the community
future security
the amount of time to do things you like doing
the quality of the local environment.

The overall PWI score for each respondent was calculated by summing the respondent’s scores of satisfaction across the 9 areas and then scaling the total score to fit a 0 to 100 scale. If a respondent was missing one value, the missing value was imputed by the mean of the other 8 non-missing values. If a respondent had more than one missing value, they were excluded from analysis.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, the mean PWI score among Canberrans was 76.1 (Table 7; Figure 8). Among those in the 65+ year age group, the average PWI score was 80.4. This average score is higher than that for any other age group and significantly higher than the average score for those aged 18⁠–⁠24 years, 25⁠–⁠44 years, or 45⁠–⁠64 years.

Figure 8

Table 7

Table 7: Personal wellbeing index by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Score	Age				Gender (18+)
Score	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Personal wellbeing index	73.1	75.4	75.6	80.4	76.3	76.0	76.1

Figure 8: Personal wellbeing index by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Life satisfaction

About this indicator

To create this measure, respondents were asked to rate how satisfied they were with their life as a whole on a 0⁠–⁠10 scale, with 0 being completely dissatisfied and 10 completely satisfied.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, the mean self-rated life satisfaction of adult Canberrans was 7.8 (Table 8; Figure 9). Among those in the 65+ year age group, the average life satisfaction score was 8.1. This average score is higher than that for any other age group and significantly higher than the average score for those aged 18⁠–⁠24 years.

Figure 9

Table 8

Table 8: Life satisfaction by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Score	Age				Gender (18+)
Score	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Mean
Mean life satisfaction score	7.2	7.7	7.8	8.1	7.8	7.8	7.8

Figure 9: Life satisfaction by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Resilience score

About this indicator

The resilience score measure attempts to capture the resilience of ACT residents.

To calculate resilience scores, respondents were asked about their feelings regarding 2 statements:

I am able to adapt when changes occur.
I tend to recover well after illness, injury or other hardships.

The response options to both statements were:

not true at all
rarely true
sometimes true
often true
true nearly all the time.

The responses were scored from 0⁠–⁠4, where 0 is “not at all true” and 4 is “true nearly all the time”. Resilience scores were calculated by summing each respondent’s scores across the 2 statements.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, the mean resilience score of ACT adults was 6.3 (Table 9; Figure 10).

The 65+ year age group had the highest mean resilience score of 6.6. This was significantly higher than the mean resilience score in the 18⁠–⁠24 year age group and the 25⁠–⁠44 year age group.

Figure 10

Table 9

Table 9: Resilience score by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Score	Age				Gender (18+)
Score	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Mean
Resilience score	6.0	6.2	6.5	6.6	6.4	6.3	6.3

Figure 10: Resilience score by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Weight status

Perceived weight status

About this indicator

The perceived weight status indicator is based on the respondents’ own descriptions of their weight. To produce this indicator, respondents were asked to classify their weight status as either:

underweight
healthy weight
overweight
very overweight.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 51.9% of adult Canberrans perceived their weight to be healthy, while 44.2% perceived themselves to be either overweight or very overweight (Table 10; Figure 11).

Among those in the 18⁠–⁠24 year age group, the proportion of respondents who described their weight as healthy was 72.3%. This was a higher proportion than any other age group and significantly more than those aged 25⁠–⁠44 years, 45⁠–⁠64 years, or 65+ years.

Figure 11

Table 10

Table 10: Perceived weight status by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Underweight	(n.p)	3.9	2.3^#	4.0^#	3.4	4.2	3.9
Healthy weight	72.3	53.4	43.2	52.9	52.9	50.9	51.9
Overweight	14.3^#	37.4	46.7	40.6	39.1	38.8	38.8
Very overweight	(n.p)	5.4	7.8	2.6^#	4.7	6.1	5.4
(n.p) Estimate not published due to relative standard error greater than 50% or small numbers.
^#Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.

Figure 11: Perceived weight status by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Physical activity

Self-rated physical activity

About this indicator

Physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of deadly diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.⁸ Because of this, increasing rates of physical inactivity globally are significant threats to public health. The self-rated physical activity measure aims to report levels of physical activity in the ACT. The measure is produced by asking respondents to rate their level of physical activity. The response options are:

not at all active
not very active
moderately active
active
very active.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 43.9% of adult Canberrans described themselves as either active or very active , while 18.5% described themselves as either not very active or not at all active (Table 11; Figure 12).

The proportion of females who described themselves as very active was 13.2%, compared to 23.4% of males. This difference between males and females was statistically significant.

Figure 12

Table 11

Table 11: Self-rated physical Activity by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Very active	26.3	17.0	18.4	17.0	23.4^🞶	13.2^🞶	18.1
Active	28.1	27.6	22.8	24.5	26.6	24.9	25.7
Moderately active	31.9	37.5	37.0	41.3	32.1^🞶	42.8^🞶	37.6
Not very active	(n.p)	14.1	18.6	12.9	15.2	14.6	14.9
Not at all active	(n.p)	3.7	3.3	4.3^#	2.7	4.5	3.6
(n.p) Estimate not published due to relative standard error greater than 50% or small numbers.
^#Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
^🞶There is a statistically significant difference in the estimates between males and females.

Figure 12: Self-rated physical Activity by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Sedentary behaviour

About this indicator

The sedentary behaviour indicator is another measure that aims to capture levels of physical activity in the ACT population. The indicator is produced by asking respondents how they spend a usual working day or, if they are retirees, how they spend a typical day. Respondents choose their answer from a list of responses including:

mostly sitting
mostly standing
mostly walking
mostly doing heavy labour or physically demanding work.

To ensure there is a large enough sample in each category to allow reliable reporting of results, the walking and heavy labour responses are combined for reporting.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 57.4% of adult Canberrans spent a typical day mostly sitting, while 15.0% of Canberrans spent a typical day mostly standing and 27.6% of Canberrans spent a typical day either walking or doing heavy labour (Table 12; Figure 13).

The proportion of females who spent a typical day mostly sitting was 59.4%, compared to 55.4% among males. This difference between males and females was not statistically significant.

Adults aged 18⁠–⁠24 years and 65 years and over were significantly less likely to report that they spend most of their day sitting than adults aged 25⁠–⁠44 years and 45⁠–⁠64 years and significantly more likely to report that they walk or do physically demanding work.

Figure 13

Table 12

Table 12: Sedentary behaviour by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Sitting	36.7	60.5	65.4	45.4	55.4	59.4	57.4
Standing	21.7	14.3	12.8	17.6	14.1	16.0	15.0
Walking/Heavy labour	41.6	25.2	21.8	37.0	30.5	24.6	27.6

Figure 13: Sedentary behaviour by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Sleep

Sleep recommendations

About this indicator

Adequate sleep is critical for promoting overall health and sleep problems are associated with an increased risk of serious health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.⁹ This measure assesses the proportion of Canberrans who meet the sleep recommendations given by the Sleep Health Foundation on a usual night. The Sleep Health Foundation recommends 7‑9 hours for 18‑64 year olds and 7‑8 hours for people aged 65 years and over.¹⁰ To produce this measure, respondents were asked to report the number of hours of sleep they usually get per night and the proportion of respondents meeting their age-specific recommendation was calculated.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 60.4% of adult Canberrans met the sleep recommendations, while 39.6% did not (Table 13; Figure 14).

Figure 14

Table 13

Table 13: Sleep recommendations by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Meeting sleep recommendations	55.8	60.4	64.7	55.5	60.9	60.0	60.4
Not meeting sleep recommendations	44.2	39.6	35.3	44.5	39.1	40.0	39.6

Figure 14: Sleep recommendations by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Food and nutrition

Fast food consumption

About this indicator

Discretionary foods are foods that are not necessary in a healthy diet and that typically contain high levels of saturated fats, added sugars and/or salt. The 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting intake of these types of food to achieve an energy intake that is optimal for health.¹¹

This indicator measures the frequency with which ACT residents consume discretionary fast food. To produce this measure, respondents were asked how often they consume fast food. Respondents who consume fast food less than once a month were coded as eating fast-food rarely or never, while respondents who consume discretionary fast-food once a month or more were coded as eating fast food.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 26.2% of adult Canberrans ate fast food never or only rarely, while 73.8% ate fast food at least once per month (Table 14; Figure 15).

The proportion of females who reported eating fast food at least once a month was 70.0%, compared to 77.5% of males. This difference between males and females was statistically significant.

Fast food consumption was most prevalent in the 18⁠–⁠24 year age group, in which 93.4% of respondents reported eating fast food at least once per month. This proportion is higher than that for any other age group and significantly more than those aged 45⁠–⁠64 years or 65+ years.

Figure 15

Table 14

Table 14: Fast-food consumption by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Eats fast food	93.4	86.0	68.3	41.2	77.5^🞶	70.0^🞶	73.8
Rarely/never eats fast food	(n.p)	14.0	31.7	58.8	22.5^🞶	30.0^🞶	26.2
(n.p) Estimate not published due to relative standard error greater than 50% or small numbers.
^🞶There is a statistically significant difference in the estimates between males and females.

Figure 15: Fast-food consumption by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Substance use

Alcohol consumption

About this indicator

Alcohol is the most widely used drug in Australia, with 8 in 10 Australians reportedly drinking alcohol. Alcohol use is associated with an increased likelihood of mental health conditions, many cancers and accidental injury.¹² To assess alcohol consumption habits among ACT residents, respondents to the 2022 ACTGHS were asked how often they usually drink alcohol and whether they had consumed more than 4 standard drinks on one occasion in the past 4 weeks.

The National Health and Medical Research Council 2020 alcohol guideline for adults recommends drinking no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day to reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury.¹²

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 20.9% of adult Canberrans were non-drinkers, while 29.7% of Canberrans had engaged in risky drinking, consuming more than 4 standard drinks on one occasion in the last 4 weeks (Table 15; Figure 16).

The prevalence of risky drinking among females was 20.9%, compared to 38.8% among males. This difference between males and females was statistically significant.

Risky drinking was most prevalent in the 18⁠–⁠24 year age group, in which 49.3% of respondents reported risky drinking behaviour. This was significantly higher than the proportion in any other age group.

Figure 16

Table 15

Table 15: Alcohol consumption by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Does not drink alcohol	13.6^#	22.5	22.0	18.1	18.1	23.7	20.9
Recently consumed more than 4 drinks on one occasion	49.3	29.0	31.4	20.0	38.8^🞶	20.9^🞶	29.7
^#Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
^🞶There is a statistically significant difference in the estimates between males and females.

Figure 16: Alcohol consumption by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Smoking status

About this indicator

Tobacco smoking is a significant contributor to ill health and death globally and is a risk factor for serious diseases like cancer, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In 2015, tobacco use contributed to 13% of all deaths in Australia.¹³

This indicator assesses the prevalence of smoking among ACT residents. To create this indicator, respondents were asked which of 5 statements best describes their smoking status:

smoke daily
smoke occasionally
don’t smoke now, but used to
tried it a few times but never smoked regularly
never smoked.

To ensure there is a large enough sample in each category to allow reliable reporting of results, the “smoke daily” and “smoke occasionally” categories were combined and the “don’t smoke now but used to” and “tried it a few times but never smoked regularly” categories were combined.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 10.5% of adult Canberrans smoked daily or occasionally, while 39.6% had smoked previously and 49.9% had never smoked (Table 16; Figure 17).

Of the female respondents, 54.1% reported never having smoked, compared to 45.8% of males. This difference between males and females was statistically significant.

The results indicate that 21.0% of Canberrans in the 18⁠–⁠24 year age group smoke daily or occasionally. This is the highest proportion of any age group and significantly more than those aged 25⁠–⁠44 years or 65+ years.

Figure 17

Table 16

Table 16: Smoking status by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Smokes daily or occasionally	21.0	9.6	12.7	4.6^#	12.6	8.1	10.5
Has smoked previously	35.0	39.4	37.3	46.0	41.7	37.8	39.6
Has never smoked	44.0	51.0	50.0	49.4	45.8^🞶	54.1^🞶	49.9
^#Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
^🞶There is a statistically significant difference in the estimates between males and females.

Figure 17: Smoking status by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

E‑cigarette usage

About this indicator

E-cigarettes are devices that heat a liquid in order to produce an inhalable aerosol. The presence of toxic and addictive substances in e-cigarettes has resulted in widespread concern about the safety of these devices and their growing popularity among young people. Apart from the immediate health risks associated with e-cigarette use, individuals who have never smoked may face an increased likelihood of taking up tobacco smoking if they use e-cigarettes.¹⁴

This indicator measures the prevalence of e‑cigarette use among ACT residents. Respondents are asked which of 5 statements best describes their use of e-cigarettes:

vape daily
vape occasionally
don’t vape now, but used to
tried vaping but never vaped regularly
never vaped.

To ensure there is a large enough sample in each category to allow reliable reporting of results, the “vape daily” and “vape occasionally” categories were combined and the “don’t vape now but used to” and “tried it a few times but never vaped regularly” categories were combined.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 79.9% of adult Canberrans had never used e-cigarettes, while 7.1% used e-cigarettes daily or occasionally (Table 17; Figure 18).

Of the female respondents, 84.9% reported never having used e-cigarettes, compared to 75.1% of males. This difference between males and females was statistically significant.

Among those aged 18⁠–⁠24 years, 28.7% reported using e-cigarettes daily or occasionally and 34.6% reported having used e-cigarettes in the past. The results indicate that 36.7% of Canberrans in the 18⁠–⁠24 year age group have never used e-cigarettes. This is the lowest proportion of any age group and significantly less than those aged 25⁠–⁠44 years, 45⁠–⁠64 years, or 65+ years.

Figure 18

Table 17

Table 17: E-cigarette usage by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Has never used e‑cigarettes	36.7	73.7	91.3	97.4	75.1^🞶	84.9^🞶	79.9
Has used e‑cigarettes previously	34.6	17.7	6.4	(n.p)	15.4	10.1	12.9
Uses e‑cigarettes daily or occasionally	28.7	8.6	2.3^#	(n.p)	9.4	5.0	7.1
(n.p) Estimate not published due to relative standard error greater than 50% or small numbers.
^#Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
^🞶There is a statistically significant difference in the estimates between males and females.

Figure 18: E-cigarette usage by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Social determinants of wellbeing

Psychosocial events

About this indicator

An understanding of the social and situational factors that may affect the wellbeing of Canberrans can help to inform priority areas for promoting positive wellbeing in the region. This measure aims to identify the frequency of a range of psychosocial events among the members of the ACT population. To produce this measure, respondents were asked which, if any, of a number of psychosocial events they had personally experienced in the past 12 months.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that the most common psychosocial events were a new job, death of someone close and moving house, which were experienced by 27.2%, 25.5% and 14.5% of Canberrans respectively (Table 18; Figure 19).

In 2022, males (21.2%) were significantly less likely than females (29.2%) to report experiencing the death of someone close to them.

Figure 19

Table 18

Table 18: Psychosocial events by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Experienced in the last 12 months:
An unplanned job loss	(n.p)	6.2	5.0	2.6^#	5.3	4.9	5.1
A new job	59.7	36.3	18.6	2.1^#	27.4	27.1	27.2
Family/domestic violence	(n.p)	2.1^#	1.9^#	(n.p)	(n.p)	2.8	2.0
Moving house	20.0	20.4	9.8	4.1^#	14.2	14.8	14.5
Robbed/home burgled	(n.p)	4.5	3.3	(n.p)	3.1	3.7	3.5
Death of someone close	27.7	21.4	26.0	34.6	21.2^🞶	29.2^🞶	25.5
Marriage/relationship breakdown	18.4	8.9	4.4	2.5^#	6.4	8.1	7.3
Serious injury	(n.p)	5.6	7.2	7.3	6.2	7.5	6.9
Serious illness	11.3^#	8.7	15.0	18.6	10.1	14.5	12.4
Financial hardship	27.3	15.8	10.8	8.7	15.0	13.0	14.1
(n.p) Estimate not published due to relative standard error greater than 50% or small numbers.
^#Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
^🞶There is a statistically significant difference in the estimates between males and females.

Figure 19: Psychosocial events by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Social support

About this indicator

The perceived strength of one’s social support network is a strong predictor of life satisfaction and wellbeing.¹⁵ The 2022 ACTGHS measured social support by asking respondents if they could ask someone for different types of support in a time of crisis.

The response options given were:

definitely yes
probably yes
probably not
definitely not.

The proportion of respondents who responded either probably yes or definitely yes for each question is reported.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate 93.8% of Canberra adults had someone they could rely on for advice when in a time of crisis and 92.2% had someone they could ask for emotional support (Table 19; Figure 20). Additionally, 95.0% had someone they could ask for support with sickness or injury, 88.7% had someone they could ask for help maintaining work or family responsibilities and 87.7% had someone they could ask for money, accommodation or food.

Males were significantly less likely to report that they could ask for emotional support than females in 2022. Adults aged 18⁠–⁠24 years were significantly more likely to report that they could ask for emergency money, accommodation or food than adults aged 25⁠–⁠44 years, 45⁠–⁠64 years or 65 years and over.

Figure 20

Table 19

Table 19: Social support by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
In a time of crisis, could ask someone for:
Advice	94.0	93.6	93.2	95.2	92.7	94.9	93.8
Emotional support	93.2	92.5	91.6	92.1	89.9^🞶	94.4^🞶	92.2
Support with sickness or injury	98.6	93.9	95.1	96.3	94.3	95.8	95.0
Help maintaining family/work responsibilities	94.6	88.6	87.3	88.6	88.2	89.3	88.7
Money, accommodation or food	98.0	88.4	85.6	84.5	86.2	89.2	87.7
^🞶There is a statistically significant difference in the estimates between males and females.

Figure 20: Social support by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Discrimination

About this indicator

Experiences of discrimination and unfair treatment are detrimental to wellbeing. This indicator measures experiences of discrimination in the ACT community. To produce this measure, respondents were asked whether they felt they had experienced discrimination or unfair treatment in the past 12 months. Respondents who reported that they had experienced discrimination were then asked what they thought had initiated the discrimination.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 18.9% of adult Canberrans had experienced discrimination or unfair treatment in the past 12 months (Table 20; Figure 21). Discrimination was experienced by 14.6% of ACT males and 22.5% of females. The difference between males and females was statistically significant.

Figure 21

Table 20

Table 20: Discrimination by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Experienced discrimination	18.6	21.9	18.7	11.4	14.6^🞶	22.5^🞶	18.9
Did not experience discrimination	81.4	78.1	81.3	88.6	85.4^🞶	77.5^🞶	81.1
^🞶There is a statistically significant difference in the estimates between males and females.

Figure 21: Discrimination by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Among those who reported they had experienced discrimination, the most commonly cited reasons for a recent experience of discrimination were race, gender and age, which were attributed as reasons by 37.8%, 35.8% and 34.0% of those who had experienced discrimination respectively (Table 21; Figure 22).

In 2022, males were significantly less likely to report that they experienced discrimination because of their gender or their age than females. Adults aged 65 years and over were significantly more likely to report that they had experienced discrimination because of their age than adults aged 25⁠–⁠44 years and 45⁠–⁠64 years and adults aged 45⁠–⁠64 years were significantly more likely to report discrimination because of their age than adults aged 25⁠–⁠44 years.

Figure 22

Table 21

Table 21: Type of discrimination experienced by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Experienced discrimation on the basis of:^a
Skin colour	(n.p)	36.8	22.7	(n.p)	39.7	23.3	29.2
Race	(n.p)	46.3	34.1	(n.p)	46.7	33.0	37.8
Language	(n.p)	29.7	14.4	(n.p)	26.1	19.3	21.5
Appearance	(n.p)	37.1	17.6	(n.p)	30.2	25.7	28.4
Gender	(n.p)	38.8	32.3	40.1	20.4^🞶	43.5^🞶	35.8
Age	(n.p)	21.4	42.6	74.4	22.8^🞶	41.5^🞶	34.0
Disability	(n.p)	23.2	23.9	(n.p)	20.2	22.2	21.8
Marital status	(n.p)	(n.p)	8.7^#	(n.p)	(n.p)	6.8	6.8
Family status	(n.p)	10.3^#	7.1^#	(n.p)	9.4^#	8.5	8.7
Sexual orientation	(n.p)	9.6^#	(n.p)	(n.p)	16.0^#	6.7^#	11.7
Occupation	(n.p)	19.0	14.4	(n.p)	13.6^#	18.3	16.3
Religion	(n.p)	(n.p)	11.6^#	(n.p)	10.3^#	5.4^#	7.1
Politics	(n.p)	(n.p)	9.1^#	(n.p)	9.7^#	4.6^#	6.7
(n.p) Estimate not published due to relative standard error greater than 50% or small numbers.
^#Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
^🞶There is a statistically significant difference in the estimates between males and females.
^a Percentage of those who experienced discrimination.

Figure 22: Type of discrimination experienced by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Perceptions of safety

About this indicator

Feelings of safety are critical to wellbeing. This indicator assesses how safe Canberrans feel in their local area. To produce this measure, respondents are asked to describe how safe they feel walking in their local area alone after dark. The response options are:

very safe
safe
neither safe nor unsafe
unsafe
very unsafe.

To ensure there is a large enough sample in each category to allow reliable reporting of results, the “very safe” and “safe” categories are combined and the “unsafe” and “very unsafe” categories are combined.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 71.2% of adult Canberrans felt either safe or very safe walking in their local area after dark, while 12.9% felt unsafe or very unsafe (Table 22; Figure 23).

While 86.3% of males reported feeling safe or very safe, 55.9% of females reported feeling safe or very safe. This difference between males and females was statistically significant.

Figure 23

Table 22

Table 22: Perceptions of safety by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Very safe/Safe	60.7	71.0	75.8	69.0	86.3^🞶	55.9^🞶	71.2
Neither	27.0	15.9	13.1	15.1	8.6^🞶	23.3^🞶	15.8
Unsafe/Very unsafe	12.4^#	13.1	11.1	16.0	5.1^🞶	20.8^🞶	12.9
^#Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
^🞶There is a statistically significant difference in the estimates between males and females.

Figure 23: Perceptions of safety by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Financial wellbeing

Self-described financial status

About this indicator

Financial stress is a significant external influence on wellbeing, with increased levels of financial stress associated with higher levels of psychological distress.¹⁶ This measure aims to assess experiences of financial stress within the ACT population. Degree of financial stress was assessed by asking respondents which of a number of options best describes their household’s money situation. Response options available to the respondents were:

We are spending more money than we get.
We have just enough money to get through to the next pay day.
There’s some money left over each week, but we just spend it.
We can save a bit every now and then.
We can save a lot.

Results

The results of the 2022 ACTGHS indicate that, at the time of the survey, 77.3% of adult Canberrans could save a lot of money or a bit every now and then, while 15.7% were spending more money than they were making or had just enough money to get through to the next payday (Table 23; Figure 24).

Figure 24

Table 23

Table 23: Self-described financial status by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Spending more money than we get	(n.p)	4.7	4.6	2.9^#	4.5	3.4	4.0
Just enough money to get through to next payday	(n.p)	12.8	10.3	12.0	10.1	13.2	11.7
Some left over each week	(n.p)	8.2	6.4	3.8^#	8.0	6.0	7.0
Save a bit every now and then	51.5	48.8	48.1	48.1	47.5	50.0	48.7
Save a lot	29.6	25.5	30.6	33.2	29.9	27.3	28.6
(n.p) Estimate not published due to relative standard error greater than 50% or small numbers.
^#Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.

Figure 24: Self-described financial status by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Financial stress

About this indicator

Financial stress was also assessed by asking respondents if in the past 12 months they had experienced any of a number of situations because they were short of money.

Results

The most commonly cited indicators of financial distress were had to cancel/delay non‑essential purchases (22.0%), sought financial assistance from friends/family (11.2%), and could not pay utility bills on time (8.1%) (Table 24; Figure 25).

Adults aged 25⁠–⁠44 years were significantly more likely to report that they were unable to pay their utility bills on time than respondents aged 65 years and over; adults aged 18⁠–⁠24 years were significantly more likely to report that they went without meals than respondents aged 25⁠–⁠44 years or 45⁠–⁠64 years; adults aged 18⁠–⁠24 years and 25⁠–⁠44 were significantly more likely to report that they sought financial assistance from friends or family than respondents aged 45⁠–⁠64 years and 65 years and over; and adults aged 18⁠–⁠24 years and 25⁠–⁠44 years were significantly more likely to report that they had to cancel or delay non-essential purchases than respondents aged 65 years and over.

Figure 25

Table 24

Table 24: Financial status by age group and gender, ACT, 2022
Category	Age				Gender (18+)
Category	18⁠–⁠24	25⁠–⁠44	45⁠–⁠64	65+	Male	Female	Persons
	Per cent
Experienced in the past 12 months:
Could not pay utility bills on time	(n.p)	9.9	7.0	3.9^#	8.1	8.2	8.1
Could not pay mortgage/rent on time	(n.p)	5.3	3.1^#	(n.p)	4.9	3.8	4.3
Could not pay car rego on time	(n.p)	7.8	5.1	(n.p)	5.1	7.0	6.2
Could not pay minimum credit card payment on time	(n.p)	5.8	3.6	(n.p)	3.6	5.3	4.5
Pawned/sold something	(n.p)	8.9	4.8	(n.p)	7.7	6.0	6.8
Went without meals	12.5^#	4.4	3.8	(n.p)	4.0	4.4	4.3
Unable to heat/cool home	(n.p)	2.5^#	3.9	(n.p)	2.9	3.2	3.1
Sought financial assistance from friends/family	22.4	14.7	6.9	3.8^#	10.4	11.8	11.2
Sought financial assistance from welfare/community group	(n.p)	5.3	2.3^#	2.4^#	4.5	3.6	4.1
Had to cancel/delay non‑essential purchases	26.6	27.4	18.5	11.6	20.5	23.1	22.0
(n.p) Estimate not published due to relative standard error greater than 50% or small numbers.
^#Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.

Figure 25: Financial status by age group and gender, ACT, 2022

Acknowledgements

This report was written by Aidan Whitfield of the Epidemiology Section, Data Analytics Branch, Policy Partnerships and Programs Division, ACT Health Directorate. Zoe Pollock, Louise Freebairn, Sommer Sherwood, Elizabeth Chalker, Glenn Draper and Pramod Adhikari provided reviews and guidance.

The ACT Health Directorate would also like to thank the many Canberrans who participated in the 2022 ACT General Health Survey.

Copyright

Creative Commons logo

The 2022 ACT General Health Survey Statistical Report is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. You are free to re‑use the work under that licence, on the condition that you credit the Australian Capital Territory Government as author, indicate if changes were made and comply with the other licence terms.

The licence does not apply to the ACT’s Coat of Arms and any other symbols, logos or trademarks of the ACT or any ACT department or agency (unless incidentally reproduced in using an unaltered document under the Creative Commons licence). The licence also does not apply to any third-party material unless expressly stated to be published under the Creative Commons licence.

Produced for ACT Health by the Epidemiology Section. Report knitted from rmarkdown on 11 June 2024. Other publications from the Epidemiology Section can be accessed from the ACT Health HealthStats Homepage by using the link Epidemiology Publications.

Enquiries about this publication should be directed to the Epidemiology Section, ACT Health Directorate, GPO Box 825, Canberra ACT 2601 or via email to Epicentre@act.gov.au.

Suggested citation:

ACT Health Directorate (2024). 2022 ACT General Health Survey Statistical Report, ACT Government, Canberra ACT.

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Appendix A – 2022 ACTGHS Questionnaire

For more information about the ACT General Health Survey (ACTGHS) and the 2022 survey questionnaire please visit the Epidemiology Section’s Data Collection Page: https://www.health.act.gov.au/about-our-health-system/data-and-publications/healthstats/data-collections

Appendix B – Methodology

Data collection and analysis

In-scope population

The in-scope populations of the 2022 ACTGHS was non-institutionalised ACT residents, aged 18 years or over.

The survey was conducted from 04 October 2022 until 27 November 2022. The response rate for the survey by sample type is given in Table 25.

Table 25: Response rate by sample frame, ACT General Health Survey, 2022
Outcomes	Total	Listed Mobile	RDD Mobile
Interviews completed	2,002	1,777	225
Response rate	25.8%	25.1%	34.2%

Sample design

The ACTGHS is implemented using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI). In 2022, the survey sample frame comprised a 100% mobile phone sample from 2 sources: listed mobile numbers and a selection of pre-screened - using random digit dialling (RDD) - mobile numbers. The target sample size was 2,000.

It is not possible to append geographic identifiers to randomly generated (RDD) mobile numbers. Listed mobile numbers are sourced from a composite phone database built by contributors from different organisations, including charities, telemarketing companies and other business entities. In this sense they are not random like RDD mobile numbers. The benefits of using listed numbers, however, is that the billing address of the owner is known, so selections can be undertaken based on state or territory of residence (in this case, the ACT). A commercial provider provided the listed mobile sample, which is updated monthly. The listed mobile frame increases coverage. For this reason, the ACTGHS primarily uses listed numbers with a small proportion of pre-screened RDD mobile numbers tagged as belonging to ACT residents from the NSW Population Health Survey.

The sample design also involved setting targets proportionate to the population, with 7 geographical areas based on Statistical Area 3 (SA3) regions.¹⁷ The SA3 targets were used to ensure adequate coverage across the regions in the ACT and has been standard practice for all ACTGHS projects since 2018.

Characteristics of the sample

Table 26 presents the profile of the sample by sample type.

Table 26: Unweighted adult profile by sample type, ACT General Health Survey, 2022
Category	Listed Mobile	RDD Mobile	Total
	Per cent
Gender
Male	45	54	46
Female	55	45	54
Age
18-24 years	3	7	4
25-34 years	14	24	15
35-44 years	24	20	23
45-54 years	19	18	19
55-64 years	19	15	19
65+ years	20	16	20
Marital status
Married	66	61	65
Widowed	3	2	3
Separated	4	3	4
Divorced	9	8	9
Never married	18	25	19
Born in Australia
Yes	72	71	72
Language other than English
Yes	16	19	17
Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander
Yes	1	1	1
Highest qualification
University	61	59	61
TAFE Certificate or Diploma	25	27	25
Completed Year 12	7	8	7
Completed Year 10	4	4	4
Completed years 7-9	1	<1	1
Completed primary school	<1	-	<1
Other	<1	<1	<1
Current employment status
Self employed	9	8	9
Employed	64	73	65
Unemployed	2	1	2
Engaged in home duties	2	1	1
A student	1	1	1
Retired	21	14	20
Unable to work	2	1	2
Other	<1	-	<1
Affluence
We are spending more money than we get	4	3	4
We have just enough money to get through to the next pay day	10	13	10
There's some money left over each week but we just spend it	6	9	6
We can save a bit every now and then	46	42	46
We can save a lot	30	28	30

Weighting

To ensure that survey estimates were representative of the ACT population, design weights were adjusted to match external benchmarks for key demographic parameters likely to be correlated with survey outcomes or with the likelihood of responses. The weight created for the 2022 ACTGHS adjusts respondents for age by gender, age by education, birthplace, number of adults in the household and SA3 (Table 27).

The method used to adjust the design weights was generalised regression (GREG) weighting, which uses non-linear optimisation to minimise the distance between the design and adjusted weight, subject to the weights meeting the benchmarks.

The regression weighting approach requires that there are no missing values across the adjustment variables or values other than those for which there are reliable benchmarks. Like most surveys however, some survey respondents did not provide responses to the questions required for weighting.

A statistical model was applied to each item with missing values to impute the most likely value for a respondent, conditional upon their other responses.¹⁸ Given the low prevalence of missing values overall, the imputation process is expected to have a negligible impact on weighted estimates made from the dataset.

Table 27: Adult population benchmarks used for adjustment, ACT General Health Survey, 2022
Category	Benchmark Target
Category	Number	%
Age group by Gender^a
18-34 years x Male	61,530	17.26
18-34 years x Female	62,051	17.41
35-44 years x Male	34,279	9.62
35-44 years x Female	35,011	9.82
45-54 years x Male	27,786	7.79
45-54 years x Female	28,343	7.95
55-64 years x Male	21,863	6.13
55-64 years x Female	23,458	6.58
65-74 years x Male	16,621	4.66
65-74 years x Female	19,018	5.33
75+ years x Male	11,651	3.27
75+ years x Female	14,874	4.17
Age group by Highest qualification^a
18-34 years x Bachelor or higher	55,255	15.50
18-34 years x Below Bachelor	68,326	19.17
35-44 years x Bachelor or higher	41,256	11.57
35-44 years x Below Bachelor	28,034	7.86
45-54 years x Bachelor or higher	28,738	8.06
45-54 years x Below Bachelor	27,391	7.68
55-64 years x Bachelor or higher	20,228	5.67
55-64 years x Below Bachelor	25,093	7.04
65-74 years x Bachelor or higher	14,745	4.14
65-74 years x Below Bachelor	20,894	5.86
75+ years x Bachelor or higher	8,305	2.33
75+ years x Below Bachelor	18,220	5.11
Country of birth (collapsed)^a
Australia	231,003	64.80
Other English-speaking country	26,928	7.55
Non-English-speaking country	98,554	27.65
Number of adults in household^b
One adult	52,931	14.85
Two adults	203,879	57.19
Three adults	52,600	14.76
Four or more adults	47,075	13.21
SA3 (collapsed)^a
Belconnen	83,495	23.42
Gungahlin	64,374	18.06
North Canberra	52,513	14.73
South Canberra / Canberra East	27,965	7.84
Tuggeranong	69,036	19.37
Weston Creek / Molongo / Urriarra - Namadgi	27,844	7.81
Woden Valley	31,258	8.77
^a Census 2021
^b National Health Survey, 2021

Software

The report was written in RStudio using the rmarkdown¹⁹ and bookdown²⁰ R packages. The majority of analysis was performed using Stata17,²¹ with further analysis and data wrangling achieved in R, using base R²² and the tidyverse collection of R packages.²³ Figures and tables in this report were created using the ggplot2²⁴ and gt²⁵ R packages respectively. The ggpattern,²⁶ patchwork,²⁷ ggprism²⁸ and ggtext²⁹ R packages were also used to assist with the creation of figures.

Reporting procedures

Don’t know and refused values

For reporting, survey responses classified as “Don’t know” and “Refused” were coded to missing and not included in the analysis. The exception to this is “Refused” gender responses, which were coded to “Other” (refer to the “Other” gender category section below).

“Other” gender category

In 2022, 4 categories for gender were included (male, female, non-binary and something different). Due to small numbers in the non-binary and something different categories, responses for these 2 categories were combined with those who refused to answer into an “other” category. While the results for the “other” category are not included in this report, all categories were included in total persons estimates. As such, the weighted sum of male and female estimates may not match the persons estimate.

Age groups

The following age groups were used for reporting: 18 years and over, 18⁠–⁠24 years, 25⁠–⁠44 years, 45⁠–⁠64 years and 65 years and older. These age groups were chosen as they are in line with the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) meaningful age groups³⁰ and there is sufficient sample size in each subgroup.

Reliability of results

A confidence interval expresses the extent of potential variation in the point estimate. This variation is because the point estimate is based on a sample of the population rather than the entire population. The 95% confidence interval is an interval that would contain the true (population) value 95% of the time if the study were repeated. The narrower the confidence interval, the more precise the estimate.³¹

The accuracy of a survey estimate refers to the closeness of the estimate to the true population value. Where there is a discrepancy between the value of the survey estimate and the true population value, the difference between the 2 is referred to as the error of the survey estimate. The standard error is a measure of the spread of survey estimates around the true population value, while the relative standard error (RSE) is a useful metric for expressing the magnitude of the error of the survey estimate.³¹ The RSE indicates the size of the standard error as a percentage of the estimate and can be calculated as shown in Equation (1):

\[\begin{equation} RSE = \frac{SE}{estimate}\cdot100 \tag{1} \end{equation}\]

where \(SE\) is the standard error of the \(estimate\).

Only estimates with an RSE of less than or equal to 25% are considered sufficiently reliable for most analytical purposes. Estimates with an RSE greater than 25% and less than or equal to 50% are less reliable and should be used with caution.³¹ Estimates with an RSE greater than 50% are considered unreliable and were not published in this report.

If an estimate has an RSE greater than 25%, it will be presented alongside the following commentary:

Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.

If an estimate has an RSE greater than 50% it will be withheld and the following commentary will be added:

Estimate not published due to relative standard error greater than 50% or small numbers.

Small sample size

Estimates with a sample less than 10 are withheld from reporting. If an estimate is withheld due to small numbers, the following commentary will be added:

Estimate not published due to relative standard error greater than 50% or small numbers.

Statistical significance

In this report, non‑overlapping 95% confidence intervals were used as a measure of the statistical significance of the difference between 2 estimates. The use of this conservative method may result in marginally significantly different estimates being classified as not statistically significant. When comparisons are made in this report, only in cases where it is explicitly indicated that a significant difference exists should it be assumed that the difference described is statistically significant.

Outliers

Some indicators may contain extreme values (outliers). These values have not been removed because:

results were categorical or binary in nature and so these extreme values did not affect the estimate
where averages were reported, excluding the extreme values did not make a significant difference to the estimates.