3-5

3-5. Physical activity (exercise)

In 2017, under half (45.0%) of South Australians aged 18 years and older reported undertaking 150 minutes or more of walking, moderate or vigorous physical activity in the week prior to the survey¹.
The rate varies between local health networks (LHNs), from 26.2% in the Flinders and Upper North LHN up to 49.7% in the Barossa Hills Fleurieu LHN.
The rate in metropolitan Adelaide (45.9%) is statistically significantly higher compared to Country SA (42.9%)¹.
A statistically significant declining trend over the last decade in the proportion of people reporting undertaking 150 minutes of physical activity per week was identified, both for metropolitan Adelaide and Country SA residents.¹

3-5-1

Data source: SA Health 2018

In 2017, the proportion of males in South Australia aged 18 years or more who reported undertaking 150 minutes or more of walking, moderate or vigorous physical activity in the week prior to the survey (49.4%) was higher than their female counterparts (41.0%)¹.
The proportion is also inversely correlated with age¹.

3-5-2

Data source: SA Health 2018

In 2017 there was a statistically significant correlation between the proportion of people aged 18 years and over who reported undertaking 150 minutes or more of walking, moderate or vigorous physical activity in the week prior to the survey and the socio-economic status of the area in which they live¹.
The proportion recorded in areas constituting South Australia's top socio-economic (SES) quintile (53.1%) is 15.5 percentage points higher than the lowest SES quintile (37.6%)¹.

3-5-3

Data source: SA Health 2018

Data presented here is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2017-18 National Health Survey for people aged 18 years and over. It is therefore not directly comparable to the information presented in 3-5-1 to 3-5-3 above from the South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System survey.
The national survey found that just under half (48.8%, not age standardised) of South Australians aged 18 years and over undertook a total of 150 minutes or more of exercise in the week prior to the survey².
The South Australian rate is below the Australian average of 52.7% (not age standardised) and ranks second-lowest of the states and territories².

**Undertook a total of 150 minutes or more of exercise in last week (aged 18+ years), 2017-18 (crude rates)**
State/Territory	%
Queensland	48.7%
South Australia	48.8%
Tasmania	49.5%
Northern Territory	51.7%
Victoria	53.3%
New South Wales	54.3%
Western Australia	56.4%
Australian Capital Territory	61.7%
Australia	52.7%

3-5-4

Data source: ABS 2018

In 2018-19, 9.3% of Aboriginal people in South Australia aged 15 years and over were meeting Australia's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour 2014 Guidelines³.
South Australia's proportion of Aboriginal people undertaking adequate levels of physical activity is below the national average for Aboriginal people (11.0%)³.

**Met Australian guidelines for physical activity - Aboriginal people (aged 15+ years), 2018-19 (crude rates)**
State/Territory	%
Northern Territory	7.2%
Western Australia	9.2%
South Australia	9.3%
Queensland	10.0%
Victoria	11.0%
Tasmania	12.5%
New South Wales	12.8%
Australian Capital Territory	21.2%
Australia	11.0%

3-5-5

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.