Healthy Lifestyles

Daily intake of fruit and vegetables is used as a proxy measure of the quality of a diet in Australia and internationally. According to the 2022 Hume Community Survey just over half of adults (54.0%) meet the recommended intake of two serves of fruit or more per day and around one in twenty (5.5%) meet the recommended intake of five or more servings of vegetables per day. Findings from the 2024 Hume Community Food Survey found that three in ten adults (30.2%) find it difficult to eat a healthy diet. Although one in three adults (34.4%) admit that there is nothing that prevents them from eating healthy at home, just over two in five (44.6%) cite the cost of healthy food as their biggest barrier. This is coupled with one in five (20.7%) feeling that limited income or other living expenses makes it difficult for them to eat healthy.

Findings from the 2023 Victorian Population Health Survey show that close to half (45.5%) of Hume City adults consume sugar-sweetened beverages daily or several times per week. This is significantly higher than the one third of adults (34.4%) reported across Victoria.

According to the 2023 Victorian Population Health Survey, 13.3% of adults in Hume City report experiencing food insecurity in the past year (i.e. they ran out of food and couldn’t afford to buy more). This finding is significantly higher than the Victorian figure of 8.0%. Almost one in six Hume adults (15.9%) are worried about running out of money to buy food, again significantly higher than the Victorian rate of 9.7%.

As found in the 2023 Victorian Population Health Survey, almost three in ten adults in Hume City (28.0%) undertake 30 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day at least five times a week (this could include sport, exercise, and brisk walking or cycling for recreation or to get to and from places but does not include housework or physical activity that may be part of someone’s job). This is significantly lower than the over one third of adults (35.1%) across Victoria reporting undertaking these levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity. One in five adults (21.5%) in Hume City report not doing any moderate to vigorous physical activity, higher than the 16.8% reported across Victoria. Although moderate to vigorous physical activity levels in Hume City adults are lower than compared to Victoria, this does not equate to significantly higher levels of sedentary behaviour (ie. sitting for eight or more hours per day). Under one in four Hume City adults (24.3%) report sitting for eight or more hours per day on an average weekday, less than the 27.9% reported across Victoria.

Research conducted by the Physical Activity and Sport Insights (PASI) Research group examined participation rates in ten major sports across Victorian local government areas during 2019-2021. These included Australian rules football, basketball, cricket, soccer, gymnastics, hockey, netball, sailing, swimming, and tennis. The study found that across Hume City in 2019 around one in ten persons (9.7 player registrations per 100 residents) participated in one of these ten major sports. This declined to a rate of 8.2 in 2021. This declining trend was not specific to Hume City but was seen across many Council areas in Victoria. As at 2021, Hume City ranked the fifth lowest in terms of participation rate across all Victorian local government areas, with Melton, Melbourne, Brimbank and Greater Dandenong having lower participation rates. These rankings applied across all persons, and for both male and female participation rates. Sport participation rates amongst males is significantly higher than for females, with a rate more than twice as high in 2021 (11.4 versus 4.9 player registrations per 100 residents).

Hume City sports participation rates across ten major sports (player registrations per 100 residents)

The tobacco smoking rate is significantly higher in Hume City compared to Victoria. Findings from the 2023 Victorian Population Health Survey indicate that almost one in four adults in Hume City smoke tobacco or vape (24.3%), compared to less than one in five adults across Victoria (18.5%). Around one in seven adults in Hume City smoke tobacco on a daily basis (14.2%), significantly more than the one in ten across Victoria (10.0%). Around one in twenty adults in Hume City vape on a daily basis (5.2%) versus 4.5% in Victoria.

Perinatal data shows that Hume City has higher rates of women who gave birth who smoked tobacco during their pregnancy (8.2%) in comparison to Greater Melbourne (6.0%) and Victoria (7.5%). This is the sixth highest rate across metropolitan local government areas.

Data from the 2018 Victorian Student Health and Wellbeing Survey, which surveyed students in years 5, 8 and 11, found that around one in twelve students (8.7%) in the Hume–Merri-Bek region have, at some time, smoked a cigarette, slightly higher than compared to the metropolitan Melbourne average of 7.0%.

Proportion of adults who smoke and/or vape

Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol consumption in Hume City is significantly lower than compared to Victoria. Findings from the 2023 Victorian Population Health Survey show that more than one in three adults in Hume City (36.3%) do not drink any alcohol, compared to 21.2% reported for Victoria. Hume City has significantly lower percentages of adults at risk from alcohol-related harm than does Victoria. Adults at a reduced risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury in Hume is 55.4% (versus 64.4% for Victoria), and adults at increased risk of harm is 7.6% (versus 13.1% for Victoria).

Alcohol consumption and risk of harm

Alcohol and Drug Related Ambulance Attendances

Alcohol and drug statistics for 2022/23 compiled by Turning Point shows that the highest rate of ambulance attendances per 100,000 population in Hume City are for alcohol intoxication, followed by illicit drugs and pharmaceutical drugs. Specific drugs with the highest rates of ambulance attendances per 100,000 population include cannabis, amphetamines (includes crystal meth), benzodiazepines and GHB. Persons aged 65+ years have the highest rates of ambulance attendances related to alcohol intoxication, and Hume has higher rates per 100,000 population within this age group when compared to both metropolitan Melbourne and Victoria. Ambulance attendance rates related to drugs, both illicit drugs and pharmaceutical drugs, are highest amongst those aged 20-24 years. For the 20-24 age group, Hume City has higher rates of ambulance attendances, compared to metropolitan Melbourne and/or Victoria for both illicit drugs and pharmaceutical drugs (in particular cannabis, amphetamines (any), benzodiazepines, crystal meth and inhalants).

Alcohol and drug related ambulance attendances per 100,000 population, Hume City 2022/23

Alcohol and drug related ambulance attendances per 100,000 population for persons aged 20-24 years, 2022/23

Alcohol and Drug Related Hospital Admissions

As with ambulance attendances, alcohol and drug statistics for 2021/22 compiled by Turning Point shows that the highest rate of hospital admissions per 100,000 population in Hume City are for alcohol intoxication, followed by illicit drugs and pharmaceutical drugs. Specific drugs with the highest rates of hospital admissions per 100,000 population include cannabis, amphetamines (meth), opioids, analgesics and GHB. Persons aged 65+ years have the highest rates of hospital admissions related to alcohol. Hospital admission rates related to illicit drugs, are highest for those aged 20-24 years and 25-34 years, while for pharmaceutical drugs, admission rates are highest amongst the 20-24 and 35-44 year age groups.

Alcohol and drug related hospital admissions per 100,000 population, Hume City 2022/23

Data from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission shows that during the 2023-24 financial year, just over $138 million dollars was lost on electronic gaming machines in Hume City, the fourth highest expenditure in Victoria. Hume City currently has fourteen venues across the municipality with a total of 833 electronic gaming machines. In the previous 2022-23 financial year, just over $139 million dollars was lost on EGMs in Hume City, which equates to a loss of $713 per adult, the fifth highest loss across metropolitan Melbourne local government areas. Hume City has around 4.3 pokies per 1000 adults in comparison to 4.8 per 1000 adults across Victoria.