WELLINGTON, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The proportion of New Zealanders rating their general health as "excellent" has fallen over the last eight years, especially among adults aged under 45, the country's statistics department Stats NZ said on Tuesday.
The General Social Survey, first collected in 2008, asks people to rate their general health. This may include aspects of both physical and mental health.
In 2018, one in six New Zealanders, or 17 percent, aged 15 and over rated their health as "excellent," a significant drop from a peak of one in four Kiwis, or 25 percent, who rated their health as "excellent" in 2010.
"How people feel about their own health has a strong relationship with objective health," wellbeing and housing statistics manager Claire Bretherton said in a statement.
"However, changes over time may also reflect a change in the context in which people are assessing their health. For example, greater awareness and social acceptance of mental health problems may mean that people are more likely to identify those health issues in themselves," Bretherton said.
Data from the Ministry of Health's New Zealand Health Survey (NZHS) shows that rates of poor mental health have increased. In the year ended June 2018, 8.6 percent of adults reported psychological distress, up from 4.5 percent reported in the year ended June 2012.
The proportions of women and men reporting "excellent" health both declined between 2010 and 2018, falling by similar amounts, the data showed.
Younger Kiwis show biggest drop in "excellent" health ratings. Of people aged 15-44 years, one in three rated their health as "excellent" in 2010, but by 2018 this had fallen to just one in five, according to the survey.
People tend to feel less healthy as they age. The NZHS data showed higher rates of health conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and other ailments amongst older people, it said.
