Social » Healthy Community

People's physical and mental health is protected. Living and working environments are safe, and everyone has access to health care. Every opportunity is taken to recognise and encourage good health.

What is Healthy Community?

Good health is vital to well-being. Without good health, people are less able to enjoy their lives to the extent they might desire, their options may be limited and their general levels of quality of life and happiness may be reduced. Without good health and the ability to access healthcare, people are less able to actively participate in and contribute to the economic, social and cultural life of the region.

Healthy community is made up of 11 indicators that were selected to measure progress towards the healthy outcome definition (defined above). Data relating to each individual indicator (for the 2001 to 2018 period) is provided via the menu below. The index that measures change in the healthy community index (pictured below) shows the composite average of the individual indicators.

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Healthy community, 2001-2018

What this means

Despite declining during the first eight years of the time series, the level the healthy community index reached in 2018, is a change of 4% compared to the 2001 result.

Did you know?

Natural disasters (and the cost of cleaning up after them) actually create an increase in GDP, thus counting natural disasters as a benefit to our economy. From a GPI perspective, natural disasters would be a decline in our well-being

11 Indicators are being used to track Healthy Community in the Wellington region

Click on each indicator below to access further information


Download Territorial Authority data for these Indicators


Physical activity

Why is this indicator important?

Participation in physical activity has recognised benefits for people’s physical and mental health. Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers, lower blood pressure, build stronger bones, muscles and joints and lower the risk of osteoporosis. Engagement in sporting activities also provides an opportunity for interaction with the wider community, building social cohesion and connectedness, and thereby reducing isolation, a recognised social determinant of ill-health.

Prevalence of adults participating in regular physical activity, 2007 to 2017

Findings

 

  • In 2017, 57.8% of the Wellington region adult population participated in regular physical activity, this rate measured 48.1% in 2007. The rate had a sharp drop in 2012 when it was 44.4% but has recovered to now report that over half the adult population participates in regular physical activity.

Physical activity

Definition and data details

Indicator Definition

The age standardised percentage of people aged 15 years and over who did 30 minutes of activity a day on 5 or more of the past 7 days.

Data Source

Ministry of Health

Last updated April 2018

Data points available only for 2006/07 and 2011-17.  Indicators are updated in April and November each year; for those indicators where new data or survey results have become available.

Data relates to Regional Public Health (Public Health Unit - PHU) boundaries.

While care has been taken in processing, analysing and extracting information, we cannot guarantee that the information is free from error and we shall not be liable for any loss suffered through the use, directly or indirectly, of any information, product or service.