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In this chapter, risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and stress have been assessed largely in isolation from one another. However, the level of risk of a particular factor may depend on whether other factors are also present, as risk factors tend to coexist and be interactive in their effects (AIHW 2002c). For example, for smokers who are physically inactive, the risks associated with smoking may combine with those of physical inactivity so that the health consequences are greater than would be expected from one of these factors alone. This analysis does not include nutrition or body weight.

The NATSISS shows that, on average, Indigenous people aged 15 years or over were exposed to 2.3 health risk factors in 2002. Approximately 5% reported no health risk factors and 16% reported at least four risk factors (graph 8.11). The most common combinations of multiple risk factors included stress, regular smoking and physical inactivity.

8.11 Number of risk factors reported(a), Indigenous persons aged 15 years or over - 2002