Help Bendigo Community Health Services (BCHS) help you by taking part in our first community health survey focusing on healthy eating, active living and a reduction in smoking and vape use.

With smoking being the largest preventable death in Australia and a large percentage of Bendigo residents struggling to meet the recommended daily intake of vegetables and physical activity, Facilitator and Health Promotion Officer Christine Steele says the survey is a chance to share lived experiences and help improve BCHS health promotion programs and services.

“We are excited to launch our first community health survey. As a community health organisation we strive to gain a deeper understanding of the local health needs of all Bendigo residents, and respond by creating and delivering health promotion programs and services that meet the needs of everyone.

“This survey is a chance for all Bendigo residents to use their voice and share their experiences, thoughts and beliefs about the struggles and motivations of eating healthy, being physically active and stopping smoking and/or vaping.

“The launch of our survey will be Wednesday, July 24 and our health promotion team will be out in the community manning pop-up stalls at a few locations including supermarkets, shopping centres and at community events. We will also be hosting focus groups with local organisations to ensure we hear the voices of everyone in Bendigo.”

Other recent surveys about the three targeted areas have noted that:

• just 15.5% of Bendigo residents are meeting their five serves of vegetables a day (Healthy Heart of Victoria, 2019)

• more than 61% of Bendigo residents want to be more physically active (The Active Living Census, 2019)

• in Bendigo, 40.5% of young people aged 0-24 “vaped occasionally or regularly, or know someone who does” (City of Greater Bendigo 2023)

• in the Loddon Mallee region hospital admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and stroke were higher compared to the state average (Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit 2022):
  - For COPD: 314.4 admissions for COPD per 100,000 (Bendigo) 211.5 per 100,000 (Victoria)
  - For stroke: 191.8 admissions for stroke per 100,000 (Victoria) and 210.7 for stroke per 100,000. (Bendigo)

“This survey really is a chance for anyone living in the Bendigo community to help shape the future of health promotion locally,” Christine says. “The results will be used to design future health promotion programs.

“Look out for our team and their pop ups. We hope to see as many people as possible and will have fun prizes for participants who complete the survey to win during our launch event.”

BCHS community health survey events:

• Wednesday, July 24
  Lansell Square, Kangaroo Flat
  Bendigo Marketplace, Mitchell Street, Bendigo

• Wednesday July 31
  Lansell Square, Kangaroo Flat
  Bendigo Marketplace, Mitchell Street, Bendigo