Waitemata Residents Among the Healthiest In New Zealand

23 May 2013
Waitemata Residents Among the Healthiest In New Zealand

People living in the Waitemata district are among the healthiest in the country, a new report has found.

Recently released results for individual DHBs from the 2011/12 New Zealand Health Survey show that among the seven larger health districts in the country, Waitemata had the lowest rate of stroke, diagnosed diabetes and medicated high blood pressure.

It marks the first time that individualised results for the larger DHBs (Waitemata, Auckland, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Capital & Coast, Canterbury and Southern) have been included as part of the Ministry of Health’s five-yearly survey.

Among the key findings for the Waitemata district include:

• A very high number of adults reporting excellent, very good or good health (91.5%)
• One of the lowest smoking rates in New Zealand (16.3% against the New Zealand average of 19.8%)
• The second lowest rate of obesity (22.2% against New Zealand’s 27.9%)
• Good primary healthcare and after hours access, with the lowest number of people reporting that they were unable to get an appointment at their usual medical practice within 24 hours over the last 12 months
• Lowest rates of tooth removal among adults over the past 12 months due to decay, abscess, gum disease or infection

“In general, the results indicate that the Waitemata adult population appears healthier than their national counterparts,” says Waitemata DHB CEO Dr Dale Bramley, “This is consistent with data which showed our district’s population to be the longest living in the country, with an average life expectancy of 84 years.”

“In fact, if we were a country, we would have the highest life expectancy in the world, ahead of Japan’s 82 years.”

The Ministry of Health’s annual statistical publication, Cancer: New Registrations and Deaths 2009, has also previously shown that Waitemata residents have the lowest cancer death rates in the country.

Last year, Waitemata DHB started screening its population for bowel cancer as part of the four year national BowelScreening pilot. The first programme of its kind in New Zealand, the programme will see 134,000 eligible people in Waitemata district aged between 50 and 74 tested for bowel cancer, the second most common cancer in New Zealand.

Dr Bramley, a public health physician, says the DHB has placed a strong emphasis on encouraging positive lifestyle choices among the district’s more than 550,000 residents.

“We’re pleased that the latest Health Survey results confirm that the work that we have put into public health is showing us good results.”

More information on the findings can be found at http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/regional-results-2011-12-new-zealand-health-survey.

ENDS

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