3-2

3-2. Health status

In 2017, the vast majority (80.8%) of South Australians aged 18 years or more self-reported that their general health status is good, very good, or excellent¹.
The rate varies between the local health networks (LHNs), from 72.2% in the Riverland Mallee Coorong LHN up to 84.3% in the Barossa Hills Fleurieu LHN¹.
The rate is not statistically significantly higher in Country SA (81.2%) than metropolitan Adelaide (80.6%)¹.
No statistically significant underlying trend over the last decade in the proportion of people reporting their general health status as good, very good, or excellent was identified, either for metropolitan Adelaide or Country SA residents¹.

3-2-1

Data source: SA Health 2018

In 2017, the proportion of people in South Australia who self-reported their general health status as good, very good, or excellent was effectively equivalent between males (80.6%) and females (81.4%) aged 18 years and over¹.
The proportion decreased with age, from well over 90% among people aged 18-24 years to around two-thirds of men and women aged 75 years or more¹.

3-2-2

Data source: SA Health 2018

There is a statistically significant correlation between the proportion of people aged 18 years and over who self-report their general health status as good, very good, or excellent and the socio-economic status (SES) of the area in which they live¹.

3-2-3

Data source: SA Health 2018

Data presented here is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2017-18 National Health Survey for people aged 15 years and over and is not directly comparable to the information presented in 3-2-1 to 3-2-3 above which is sourced via the South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System survey of persons aged 18 years and older.
However, the national survey corroborates the findings from the South Australian survey, with a large majority (84.4%, age standardised) of those aged 15 and over self-assessing their health status as good, very good or excellent².
The South Australian rate is slightly below the Australian average of 85.8% (age standardised) and third-lowest of the states and territories, although the differences are only small and may not be significant once margins for error in the estimation are taken into account².

**Self-assessed health status is good, very good, or excellent (aged 15+ years), 2017–18 (age standardised)**
State/Territory	%
Tasmania	83.7%
Queensland	83.9%
South Australia	84.4%
Victoria	85.9%
New South Wales	86.2%
Northern Territory	87.1%
Western Australia	88.6%
Australian Capital Territory	89.8%
Australia	85.8%

3-2-4

Data source: ABS 2018

In 2018-19, 70.1% of Aboriginal people in South Australia aged 15 years and over self-assessed their health status as being good, very good, or excellent³.
This is 14.3 percentage points below the 84.4% recorded for all South Australians aged 15 years or more in the ABS 2017-18 National Health Survey (see 3-2-4 above)².
South Australia's proportion of Aboriginal people in good or better general health is below the national average for Aboriginal people (76.1%) and is ranked lowest of the states and territories³.

**Aboriginal self-assessed health status is good, very good, or excellent (aged 15+ years), 2018-19 (crude rates)**
State/Territory	%
South Australia	70.1%
Australian Capital Territory	71.1%
Tasmania	72.5%
Victoria	75.2%
New South Wales	76.1%
Queensland	76.2%
Western Australia	77.4%
Northern Territory	81.6%
Australia	76.1%

3-2-5

Data source: ABS 2019

Based on South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System customised extract 2018, Prevention and Population Health, SA Health, Adelaide, 16 August 2018.
Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2018), ‘Table 2.3 Summary health characteristics — States and territories, Proportion of persons’, National Health Survey: First Results, 2017-18, cat. no. 4364.0.55.001, 12 December 2018.
Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2019), 'Table 3.3 Selected health characteristics, by State/Territory, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons, 2018–19, Proportion of persons,' National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, 2018-19, cat. no. 4715.0, 11 December 2019.