Limitations In Knowledge And Practice Of Healthy Lifestyle Guidelines In A Sample Of Australian Adults.

Abstract

PURPOSE: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in Australia. Physical activity (PA), optimal sleep, ample fruit/vegetable consumption, reduced screen time, limited alcohol consumption and not smoking are all protective against CVD, however, evidence shows that knowledge of Australian health guidelines and engagement in healthy behaviors is less than sufficient. We aimed to identify knowledge and engagement in 6 lifestyle behaviors in a convenience sample of Australian adults. METHODS: Australian adults (>18 years) were invited through social media to complete an online anonymous survey via Survey Monkey assessing healthy lifestyle behavior choices and knowledge of Australian health guidelines. Data were reported as means and standard deviation or percentages. Simple linear regressions were performed to identify any significant associations between knowledge and practice. RESULTS: Australian adults (n=219; 69% female; M=30±14; range 18-73) completed the survey. Only 26% of the sample knew and self-reported BMI (M=23.00±5.7) and only 32% of the sample reported their health as very good or excellent. Correct knowledge of individual health guidelines was 67% PA, 61% sleep, 42% fruit and 41% vegetable consumption, 30% screen time, and 29% alcohol, of which 30%, 84%, 23%, 16%, 21%, 53% met the guidelines respectively. Eighty percent of the sample reported smoking as harmful; however, only 28% of the sample had not smoked in the prior 6 months. Alarmingly, on average participants reported spending 8.6±4.2 hours/day watching a screen and sat for 8.4±3.6 hours/day. Knowledge of the guidelines was associated with adherence to the guidelines for moderate PA (r=0.22; p<0.01), sleep (r=0.15; p=0.04) and fruit (r=0.41; p<0.01) and vegetable (r=0.38; p<0.01) intake. CONCLUSIONS: On average, less than 50% of this sample of the Australian adult population are aware of the national guidelines for 4 out of 6 healthy lifestyle behaviors and less than 30% meet the national health guidelines for PA, screen time and fruit/vegetable consumption. Moreover, greater than 70% of the sample have smoked or tried smoking in the past 6 months. More research is needed to identify ways to not only help Australians become more aware of the individual health behavior guidelines but also to improve healthy lifestyle choices.