Go to home page - Ministry of HealthWhats New - Ministry of HealthPublications - Ministry of HealthForums - Ministry of HealthLinks - Ministry of HealthContact - Ministry of HealthAbout - Ministry of HealthSearch - Ministry of HealthSkip Navigation
Print this  Email this

Health Targets

Quarterly Reports
Improving Nutrition, Increasing Physical Activity and Reducing Obesity Target


Summaries from the Target Champion on the national progress towards this target is provided below:

Full year - 2007/08

07/08 Target Achievement – healthier lifestyle choices are improving


This is the first time information about these targets has been captured, collated and compared in this way – an emphasis over 2008/09 will be the capture of information to better measure progress against the targets:

  • 65% exclusively and fully breastfed infants at six weeks, 54% at three months, and 26% at six months
  • Two out of every three adults ate two or more servings of fruit each day
  • Two out of every three adults ate three or more servings of vegetables each day.

07/08 Population Health Achievements


New Zealand Plunket breastfeeding rates, 2007 - infants exclusively and fully breastfed

Graph of New Zealand Plunket breastfeeding rates, 2007 - infants exclusively and fully breastfed.
Adequate fruit intake for adults, by gender, 1997, 2002/03 and 2006/07 (age-standardised prevalence)

Graph of adequate fruit intake for adults, by gender, 1997, 2002/03 and 2006/07 (age-standardise prevalence).
Source: Ministry of Health, 2008. A Portrait of Health: Key results of the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey.
Adequate daily vegetable intake among adults, by gender, 1997, 2002/03 and 2006/07 (age-standardised prevalence)

Graph of adequate vegetable intake for adults, by gender, 1997, 2002/03 and 2006/07 (age-standardised prevalence).
Source: Ministry of Health, 2008. A Portrait of Health: Key results of the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey.

Quarter Three 2007/08
As part of the Healthy Eating – Healthy Action (HEHA) work programme, initiatives are under way to increase breastfeeding rates and consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Breastfeeding
  • Most DHBs have submitted their Breastfeeding Action Plans. These draft action plans are being analysed by the Ministry with formal feedback on the draft plans to be forwarded to DHBs by the end of May 2008. DHBs are expected to send their final Breastfeeding Action Plans to the Ministry by 15 June 2008.
  • The breastfeeding promotion campaign targeting Māori and Pacific families is on track to begin in June 2008. This is part of the work to increase the proportion of infants being exclusively breastfed to six months, and partially breastfed beyond six months. The social marketing campaign will feature television, radio and print ads aimed at raising awareness about the importance of breastfeeding and the role that families have in supporting breastfeeding mothers, and is due to go to air at the end of July 2008.

Vegetable and fruit consumption
  • Through the HEHA Community Action Project (HCAP), Māori and Pacific communities will be asked to have a nutrition focus (ie, increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables) in developing their community projects. Most DHBs have submitted their HCAP Plans. These draft plans are being analysed by the Ministry, with formal feedback on the draft plans to be forwarded to respective DHBs by the end of May 2008. DHBs are expected to send their final community action plans to the Ministry by 15 June 2008. DHBs will ensure that the development and progression of the HCAP in their respective districts is closely linked with the Feeding Our Futures Campaign (see Feeding our Futures below).

  • Results of the fourth national health survey were released on 4 June 2008. These results will allow comparison with the 2002/03 survey and will give a good indication of consumption patterns over the last four years.

  • The Ministry is continuing to explore the possibility of accessing point-of-sale data by DHB so that data on vegetable and fruit consumption is collected and collated more regularly at the DHB level.
  • Feeding our Futures is a healthy eating social marketing campaign run by the Health Sponsorship Council on behalf of the HEHA project team. Aimed at parents and caregivers of children aged 8 to 12 years old, Feeding our Futures aims to help parents and caregivers make healthy choices for their children. The campaign was launched in May 2007 and initially focused on making water or milk the first choice.

Quarter Two 2007/08
A number of initiatives will be launched in coming months to support existing programmes aimed at increasing breastfeeding rates and consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Breastfeeding
  • By 30 April 2008, DHBs are expected to draft individual action plans that will detail specific measures aimed at promoting breastfeeding in their respective districts. These draft action plans are to be finalised by 30 June 2008.

  • A breastfeeding social marketing campaign targeting Māori and Pacific families is set to begin in June 2008. This is part of the work to increase the proportion of infants being exclusively breastfed to six months and partially breastfed beyond six months. The social marketing campaign will feature television, radio and print ads aimed at raising awareness about the importance of breastfeeding and the role that families have in supporting breastfeeding mothers.

Vegetable and fruit consumption
  • Feeding our Futures is a healthy eating social marketing campaign run by the Health Sponsorship Council on behalf of the HEHA Project team. Aimed at parents and caregivers of children aged 8 to 12 years old, Feeding our Futures aims to help parents and caregivers make healthy choices for their children. The campaign was launched in May 2007 and initially focused on making water or milk the first choice.

  • Through the HEHA Community Action Project (HCAP), Māori and Pacific communities will be asked to have a nutrition focus (i.e. increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables) in the development of their community projects. DHBs will ensure that the development and progression of the HCAP in their respective districts is closely linked with the Feeding Our Futures Campaign.
  • Results for the fourth national health survey will be available in May 2008. These results will allow comparison with the 2002/03 survey and will give a good indication of consumption patterns over the last four years.
  • The Ministry is exploring the possibility of accessing point-of-sale data by DHB in order that data on vegetable and fruit consumption are collected and collated more regularly at the DHB level

Quarter One 2007/08
Reducing obesity

The Ministry keeps in regular contact with the DHBs through the Healthy Eating – Healthy Action (HEHA) project managers, and held a national workshop for them in September 2007.

Breastfeeding
  • The Ministry has produced Implementing and Monitoring the International of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes in New Zealand: The Code in New Zealand to ensure the International Code is more accessible, more effectively used, and more easily monitored in New Zealand.
  • The scoping work for the national breastfeeding promotion campaign has been completed. The campaign’s overall goal is to increase the proportion of infants being exclusively breastfed to six months, and the proportion of infants partially breastfed beyond six months, particularly those of Maori and Pacific descent.

Vegetable and fruit consumption
  • ‘Feeding our Futures’ is a healthy eating social marketing campaign aimed at parents and caregivers of eight to 12-year-olds.
  • Launched in May 2007, the campaign initially focused on:
    • making water or milk the first choice
    • kids don’t need sweet drinks
    • getting children involved in the preparation of healthy food
    • eating together as a family.

The data collection period for the fourth national health survey period has been completed, and data on vegetable and fruit intake among adults was collected. Once the data has been analysed and published, the Ministry will be able to compare the data with the 2002/03 data.
Page last updated: 12 October 2008


Privacy | Copyright | Disclaimer | About Us | Access Keys | Feedback | Contact Us | Employment | newzealand.govt.nz