People in Austria live longer and stay healthier for longer. This is evident from the 2022 health report published on Thursday. The downer: about two-thirds of the population suffers from chronic diseases.
According to the current report, women and men in Austria have been living an average of two and 2.9 years longer respectively since 2005. They also stay healthy longer: men spend 7.4 and women 7.8 years longer in good health than in 1991.
Problems caused by alcohol, nicotine, poor diet
The ministry still sees a need for action: 66 percent – that is about 4.9 million people – suffered from a permanent illness or chronic health problem in 2019, compared to 62 percent in 2014 (the data was requested for the 2016 report). The problems are largely due to an unhealthy lifestyle, such as insufficient exercise, an unbalanced diet and alcohol and nicotine use.
One in four people has chronic back pain
The most common chronic diseases and health problems in Austria are chronic back pain (26 percent of the population aged 15 years and older), allergies (20 percent), chronic neck pain (20 percent), osteoarthritis (13 percent), chronic headaches (eight percent) , diabetes (six percent), depression (six percent), chronic bronchitis/COPD (five percent) and asthma (four percent).
We stay healthy longer
In total, chronic diseases currently mean that women spend 19.5 years of life and men 16.4 years of life in fair to poor health. Overall, as of 2019, male newborns can be expected to live 63.1 years in good health and female newborns 64.7 years. That is an increase of more than seven years since 1991.
Income and education play a major role
The research shows that income and education have a major influence on health. People with little formal education or low family income have lower life expectancy and spend more years of their lives in fair or poor health. They are more likely to become chronically ill, have more limitations in daily life and a lower quality of life. Men and women with compulsory education have a life expectancy of 76.7 and 82.7 years respectively, while people with a high school diploma or higher educational qualification have a life expectancy of 83.2 and 86.4 years respectively.
Longer life expectancy for men and women
This difference is mainly due to a less favorable lifestyle, a disadvantaged living situation and low use of early detection and medical care. Overall, between 2005 and 2019, life expectancy for men increased by 2.9 to 79.5 years, and for women by 2.0 to 84.2 years. Due to the corona pandemic, life expectancy for men fell by 0.7 years in 2020 and 2021 and by 0.5 years for women.
“Health should not be a matter of income. “It is all the more important that with healthcare reform we improve the offer of statutory health insurers and invest additional resources in health promotion and prevention,” Minister of Health and Social Affairs Johannes Rauch (Greens) said on Thursday.
The first health report was published in 2016. The current one shows developments since 2005. This concerns data from 2019, and in some cases the years 2020 and 2021 have also been included.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
