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"She'll be right, mate!": do Australians take their health for granted?
Paul Harris1, Asiyeh Salehi2, Elizabeth Kendall3
1Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; and Corresponding author.
Journal of Primary Health Care
|September 29, 2020
Summary
Australian health consciousness is low, with more health-conscious individuals reporting poorer health and higher healthcare use. This suggests a reactive approach to health rather than proactive engagement, impacting public health programs.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Health consciousness is key to proactive health behaviors and responsibility.
- Understanding Australian health consciousness is vital for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the level of health consciousness among Australians.
- To explore associations between health consciousness, health status, healthcare utilization, and sociodemographic factors.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative cross-sectional study involving 1529 adults from Queensland and South Australia.
- Utilized the Health Consciousness Scale (HCS), alongside measures of health status, healthcare utilization, and sociodemographics.
Main Results:
- Australian health consciousness scores were relatively low (mean=21) compared to international benchmarks.
- Higher health consciousness correlated with residing in South Australia, being female, single, experiencing poorer physical/mental health, and increased healthcare service use.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest a prevalent 'here and now' approach to health in Australia, often reactive to health status changes or system exposure.
- Further research is needed to confirm these findings and inform primary health programs addressing public health apathy.
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