Geelong residents have the opportunity to help the council understand the health and wellbeing needs of the community.
Ten thousand randomly selected households in the Greater Geelong region will soon receive an invitation by email, letter or phone call to take part in the anonymous Geelong Preventative Health Survey.
The City of Greater Geelong conducts the survey every few years, with the 2024 version taking place between Wednesday, August 7 and Friday, September 6.
Respondents will be able to provide valuable data about key health indicators such as healthy eating, physical activity, mental health, smoking, alcohol consumption, personal safety and the health impacts of climate change.
The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete, with the results helping the City plan for the community’s needs.
Deputy Mayor Anthony Aitken said the outcomes of the survey would help the council understand trends in the health status and emerging concerns of the region.
“It’s really important that we identify the issues that residents are facing when it comes to topics like healthy eating, feeling connected and satisfaction with life,” he said.
“This evidence-based approach could help us understand how we can respond to the high rates of chronic disease and high-risk health behaviours in our suburbs.
“It will also show disparities in health status and behaviours across different suburbs across the municipality.”
Inclusion and Care portfolio chair Councillor Sarah Hathway said the input of every contacted household was important.
“While participation is voluntary, we encourage all selected households to contribute so that we can be sure that our planning takes into account your specific needs,” Cr Hathway said.
“We want to know how the community’s health is tracking and this survey is the most efficient and accurate way of collecting that much-needed information.”
Visit qre.host/collection to find out how participants’ data will be collected and managed.
