The Epidemiology Directorate of the Department of Health Western Australia recently published the Health and Wellbeing of Adults in Western Australia 2024 and the Health and Wellbeing of Children in Western Australia 2024. These reports provide the health sector and the community with information on various aspects of health and wellbeing, captured by the Western Australian Health and Wellbeing Surveillance System.
From February to December 2024, 13,780 participants completed either a computer-assisted telephone interview or an online survey. This included 13,151 adults aged 16 and over, and 629 parents or carers who completed the survey on behalf of children aged 0-15 years.
Key findings of the Adults’ report include:
- 47.6% of adults self-reported their health status as excellent or very good.
- More than one in four (26%) adults sustained an injury in the past 12 months that required treatment from a health professional, with 31.5% of these injuries attributable to falls.
- Over one in three (36.4%) adults reported drinking at levels that put them at risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury.
- 21.7% of adults experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress.
Who was most affected by injury?
- Injury rates were found to be similar across sexes, however women experienced more fall-related injuries than men (9.3% compared to 7.0%).
- Adults aged 65 years and over had the highest proportion of fall-related injuries (51.1% of all injuries).
- Risky alcohol consumption was more common among men (45.6%) in comparison to women (27.3%), and the highest age group was among younger adults (16-44 years) at 39.7%.
Key findings of the Childrens’ report include:
- 83.5% of parents/carers reported that their child’s health status was excellent or very good.
- 29.6% of children had sustained an injury in the past 12 months that required treatment from a health professional.
- 54.1% of children experienced some difficulty with emotions, behaviour, concentration or relationships, and 37.1% were bullied in the past year.
Who was most affected by injury?
- Injury prevalence was highest among older children (10-15 years) at 38.1%, compared to 26.7% at age 5-9 and 22.0% at age 0-4.
- Boys had a slightly higher injury prevalence than girls (31.2% compared to 28.0%).
- Bullying was more commonly reported for girls (40.2% compared to 33.8% in boys), while boys reported more severe emotional/behavioural difficulties.
The findings of the reports highlight that adults show lower levels of self-reported health, with high prevalence of chronic conditions, lifestyle risk factors and mental health conditions affecting wellbeing. Injury also remains a significant issue for adults, with 26% experiencing an injury requiring treatment in the past year and falls accounting for nearly one-third of cases, particularly impacting older adults and women.
In children, findings indicate strong general health, with challenges to mental health, food environments and family pressures remaining significant. However, injury continues to affect wellbeing, with almost one in three children experiencing a medically treated injury.
To find out more about the Health and Wellbeing of Western Australians, the reports can be accessed here: