The VicHealth Indicators Survey is a Victorian population-level survey conducted every four years. Selected findings from the VicHealth Indicators Survey 2015 were published in 2016. This report provides a closer look at the health and wellbeing of surveyed respondents with disability.
The survey collected information on a range of factors known to influence individual and community wellbeing including safety, mental wellbeing, physical activity, healthy eating and alcohol consumption. The results show inequities in health and wellbeing exist for Victorians with disability compared to those without disability, particularly in the areas of physical activity and mental health and wellbeing.
Some of the key findings include:
- People with disability are 40% less physically active than people without disability. In particular, women with disability are less active.
- People with disability are half as likely to feel safe walking around their neighbourhood than people without disability. They are also a quarter less likely to feel positive about their neighbourhood than people without disability.
VicHealth consulted with the disability sector to develop key insights into what can be done to improve these inequities. Suggestions included:
- Promoting positive attitudes and challenging negative stereotypes about people with disability across the community
- Creating more opportunities for people with disability to participate in community, sporting and recreation activities. This can be assisted by ensuring environments are welcoming, inclusive and accessible
- Developing ways for people with disability to participate actively in, and be represented on decision-making, advisory and planning bodies to influence change within government, organisations and communities
- Increasing peer support networks as these networks are important in assisting people with disability to feel socially connected and included
- Topics:
- Health
- Author:
- Vic Health
- Date published:
- Mon 3rd Dec, 2018