Nearly a third of kiwi adults and a quarter of children make standalone visits to their local practice nurse, according to the latest New Zealand Health survey.
The extensive Ministry of Health surveys of 12,000 adults and parents of nearly 4500 children covers topics from obesity to TV watching in children plus cardiovascular conditions, diabetes and related risk factors in adults. It also looks at mental health, health links to deprivation, unmet health needs and access to primary health care.
The 2011-12 survey found that 31 per cent in adults had visited a practice nurse independently from seeing their GP in the previous 12 months (only slightly up from 29 per cent in the 2006/07 survey) and had paid on average $10 for the visit. About one in four children had had an independent visit to their practice nurse and for the vast majority this was free.
The survey found that 89 per cent of adults reported they were in good health but also about five per cent had been diagnosed with diabetes, 28 per cent were obese (up from 26 per cent five years earlier) and one in four reported an unmet need in primary health care in the past year.
The 2011-12 survey is the first since 2006-07 but from now on is to be a regular event. You can view the adult’s health survey report online at: bit.ly/Z0Tuv8 and the children’s health survey at: bit.ly/UUwycH
