Health for Every Heart
Health for Every Heart
Tracking Australia’s heart health
Goal 2: Create environments and systems that enable healthy behaviours
Environments where people live, work and play can impact a person’s risk of heart disease.1-4 Our vision for 2050 is that everyone should have the opportunity to live well, whatever their circumstances, supported by heart-healthy environments, systems and communities.
Tracking Australia’s progress towards five of the 25-year targets set out in Health for Every Heart will help us understand whether the nation is heading in the right direction to achieve Goal 2 by enabling healthy behaviours, which means more people can reduce their risks of developing heart disease and other chronic conditions.
Find out more about what needs to be addressed to reach Goal 2.
Goal 2: 2050 Targets
- Over 75% population meets recommended physical activity levels
- 20% reduction in prevalence of overweight and obesity in the population
- Smoking and vaping rates are below 5%
- 50% reduction in heart disease attributed to dietary risk factors
- The impact of environmental factors on heart disease will be steadily decreasing
Goal 2 indicators
We will use 16 indicators to monitor Australia’s progress towards enabling healthy behaviours for everyone (Goal 2).
The first data points for each indicator are summarised in the tables on this page, establishing the baseline value and providing a snapshot of heart healthy environments and behaviours in Australia at the beginning of the 25-year vision.
Find out more about:
- what the baseline values can tell us about the starting point for the 25-year vision
- how these indicators help us monitor Australia’s progress towards Goal 2
- what to expect in the heart health tracker as we build more data points
Table 3. Indicators to monitor Australia’s progress towards the 2050 target: over 75% population will meet recommended physical activity levels
Find out more about what the baseline values tell us
| Indicator | Indicator details | Baseline value | Baseline timepoint# | Data sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.a Meeting physical activity guidelines | Adults and young people who are meeting Australian physical activity guidelines – proportion of total population (15 years and over) | 23.9% | 2022 |
2.a — ABS. National Health Survey 2022. Table 11.3 Physical activity, by age.
|
| 2.b Being physically active | Adults and young people who are participating in physical activity for any amount of time Proportion total population (15 years or over) | 88.1% | 2022 |
2.b — ABS. National Health Survey 2022. Table 11.3 Physical activity, by age.
|
| 2.c Burden of coronary heart disease and stroke – physical inactivity | Burden of disease for coronary heart disease and stroke that is attributable to physical inactivity – disability adjusted life years (DALYs) | 54,134 | 2024 |
2.c — AIHW. Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024. Table S8. Number and percent of linked disease burden (YLL, YLD, DALY) in Australia due to each risk factor, by sex and year.
|
- #The timepoint refers to the reference period for the source data set and not the release date.
- “Adults” refers to people 18 years and over unless otherwise specified.
Table 4. Indicators to monitor Australia’s progress towards the 2050 target: reduce prevalence of overweight and obesity in the population by 20%
Find out more about what the baseline values tell us
| Indicator | Indicator details | Baseline value | Baseline timepoint# | Data sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.d People living with obesity and overweight - adults | Adults who are living with overweight or obesity – proportion of total adult population | 65.8% | 2022 |
2.d — ABS. National Health Survey 2022. Table 8.3 Body Mass Index, waist circumference, height and weight, by age and sex.
|
| 2.e People living with obesity and overweight – children and young people | Proportion of children and young people who are living with overweight or obesity - aged 5-17 years | 27.7% | 2022 |
2.e — ABS. National Health Survey 2022. Table 17.3 Children's Body Mass Index, waist circumference, height and weight, by age and sex — Children aged 2–17 years.
|
| 2.f Burden of coronary heart disease and stroke - overweight and obesity | Burden of disease for coronary heart disease and stroke that is attributable to overweight and obesity – disability adjusted life years (DALYs) | 117,618 | 2024 |
2.f — AIHW. Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024. Table S8. Number and percent of linked disease burden (YLL, YLD, DALY) in Australia due to each risk factor, by sex and year.
|
- #The timepoint refers to the reference period for the source data set and not the release date.
- “Adults” refers to people 18 years and over unless otherwise specified.
Table 5. Indicators to monitor Australia’s progress towards the 2050 target: reduce smoking and vaping rates below 5%
Find out more about what the baseline values tell us
| Indicator | Indicator details | Baseline value | Baseline timepoint# | Data sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.g People who smoke | Adults and young people aged 14 years and over who currently smoke - proportion of total population aged 14 years and over | 10.5% | 2022-23 |
2.g — AIHW. National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-2023. Table 2.2: Tobacco smoking status, people aged 14 and over, by gender, 2001 to 2022–2023.
|
| Young people aged 15-24 years who currently smoke – proportion of total population 15 to 24 years | 7.2% | |||
| 2.h People who use vapes | Adults and young people aged 14 years and over who currently use vaping devices – proportion of total population 14 years and over | 7.0% | 2022-23 |
2.h — AIHW. National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-2023. Table 3.3: Current use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), by age and smoking status, 2016 to 2022–2023.
|
| Young people aged 15 to 24 years who currently use vaping devices – proportion of total population 15 to 24 years | 17.9% | |||
| 2.j Burden of disease for coronary heart disease and stroke - tobacco use | Burden of disease for coronary heart disease and stroke that is attributable to tobacco use – DALYs | 47,764 | 2024 |
2.j — AIHW. Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024. Table S8. Number and percent of linked disease burden (YLL, YLD, DALY) in Australia due to each risk factor, by sex and year.
|
- #The timepoint refers to the reference period for the source data set and not the release date.
- “Adults” refers to people 18 years and over unless otherwise specified.
Table 6. Indicators to monitor Australia’s progress towards the 2050 target: 50% reduction in heart disease attributed to dietary risk factors
Find out more about what the baseline values tell us
| Indicator | Indicator details | Baseline value | Baseline timepoint# | Data sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.k Eating pattern – fruit intake | Adults meeting the recommended daily intake of fruit – proportion of total population | 44.1% | 2022 |
2.k —ABS. National Health Survey 2022. Table 9.3 Consumption of fruit and vegetables, by age and sex
|
| Children 2 – 17 years meeting the recommended daily intake of fruit – proportion of total population | 63.9% | |||
| 2.l Eating pattern –vegetables intake | Adults meeting the recommended daily intake of vegetables – proportion of total population | 6.5% | 2022 |
2.l — ABS. National Health Survey 2022. Table 9.3 Consumption of fruit and vegetables, by age and sex
|
| Children 2 – 17 years meeting the recommended daily intake of vegetables – proportion of total population | 4.6% | |||
| 2.m Eating pattern – adding salt to food | Adults who do not use salt for cooking or preparing foods – proportion of total population | 22.4% | 2023 |
2.m — ABS. National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2023. Table 10.1 Frequency and type of salt used, by age.
|
| Adults who do not add salt to food at the table– proportion of total population | 52.3% | |||
| 2.n Eating pattern – sodium intake | Average daily consumption of sodium from food and beverages – milligrams (mg) per adult | 2,384 mg | 2023 |
2.n — ABS. National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2023. Table 1.1 Daily energy and nutrients from food and beverages, by age.
|
| 2.o Eating pattern – alcohol intake | Adults and young people aged 15 years and over who did not exceed the recommended alcohol intake – proportion of total population | 72.9% | 2022 |
2.o — ABS. National Health Survey 2022. Table 7.3 Alcohol consumption – Australian Adult Alcohol Guideline 2020, by age and sex.
|
| Adults at higher heart disease risk 45 years and over who did not exceed the recommended alcohol intake – proportion of total population | 72.5% | |||
| 2.p Burden of disease for coronary heart disease and stroke - dietary risk factors | Burden of disease for coronary heart disease and stroke that is attributable to dietary risk factors – DALYs | 189,563 | 2024 |
2.p — AIHW. Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024. Table S8. Number and percent of linked disease burden (YLL, YLD, DALY) in Australia due to each risk factor, by sex and year.
|
- #The timepoint refers to the reference period for the source data set and not the release date.
- “Adults” refers to people 18 years and over unless otherwise specified.
Table 7. Indicators to monitor Australia’s progress towards the 2050 target: decreasing the impact of environmental factors on heart disease
Find out more about what the baseline values tell us
| Indicator | Indicator details | Baseline value | Baseline timepoint# | Data sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.q Burden of disease for coronary heart disease and stroke - air pollution | Burden of disease (non-fatal) for coronary heart disease and stroke that is attributable to air pollution - years lost to disability (YLDs) | 7,395 | 2024 |
2.q — AIHW. Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024. Table S8. Number and percent of linked disease burden (YLL, YLD, DALY) in Australia due to each risk factor, by sex and year.
|
| Burden of disease (fatal) for coronary heart disease and stroke that is attributable to air pollution - years of life lost (YLLs) | 32,079 |
- #The timepoint refers to the reference period for the source data set and not the release date.
- “Adults” refers to people 18 years and over unless otherwise specified.
Abbreviations
ABS – Australian Bureau of Statistics
AIHW – Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
DALY – disability adjusted life years
mg – milligram, or one thousandth of one gram
YLD – years lost to disability
YLL – years of life lost
Technical notes
Data availability and completeness
In some areas of heart health, data development will be needed to improve the indicators and the way we track some of the Health for Every Heart targets.
Data sources for Goal 2 indicators
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-2023
- Table 2.2. Table 2.2: Tobacco smoking status, people aged 14 and over, by gender, 2001 to 2022–2023
- Table 2.4. Tobacco smoking status, by age and gender, 2001 to 2022–2023
- Table 3.3: Current use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), by age and smoking status, 2016 to 2022–2023
- Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024. Table S8. Number and percent of linked disease burden (YLL, YLD, DALY) in Australia due to each risk factor, by sex and year.
Australian Bureau of Statistics
- National Health Survey 2022
- Table 7.3 Alcohol consumption – Australian Adult Alcohol Guideline 2020, by age and sex
- Table 9.3 Consumption of fruit and vegetables, by age and sex
- Table 8.3 Body Mass Index, waist circumference, height and weight, by age and sex
- Table 11.3 Physical activity, by age
- Table 17.3 Children's Body Mass Index, waist circumference, height and weight, by age and sex — Children aged 2–17 years
- Table 18.3 Children's consumption of fruit and vegetables, by age and sex — Children aged 2–17 years
National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2023
- Table 1.1 Daily energy and nutrients from food and beverages, by age
- Table 10.1 Frequency and type of salt used, by age
References
- Chandrabose M, den Braver NR, Owen N, Sugiyama T, Hadgraft N. Built Environments and Cardiovascular Health: REVIEW AND IMPLICATIONS. Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention. 2022;42(6)
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Heart, stroke and vascular disease: Australian facts.
- Marfella R, Prattichizzo F, Sardu C, et al. Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events. New England Journal of Medicine. 2024;390(10):900-910.
- Alahmad B, Khraishah H, Althalji K, Borchert W, Al-Mulla F, Koutrakis P. Connections Between Air Pollution, Climate Change, and Cardiovascular Health. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 2023;39(9):1182-1190.
Goal 1: Advance heart health equity
Goal 3: Prevent, detect, and manage risk early