In order to maintain health and wellbeing, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Australian Dietary Guidelines provide minimum recommended daily serves of fruit and vegetables that the population should consume to minimise the risk of diet-related chronic diseases.1 The 2019 Australian Burden of Disease Study indicated that dietary risks contributed 4.2% of the disease burden for cancer in 2015.2 In 2011 a similar study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people indicated that a diet low in fruit contributed to 5.5% of the disease burden for cancer, and a diet low in vegetables contributed to about 1.8% of this burden.3
Charts
About this measure
There is evidence that fruit and vegetables, and other foods containing dietary fibre, provide a protective effect against some cancers, particularly colorectal (bowel) cancer.4 Australia has one of the highest incidence rates of colorectal cancer in the world, with this cancer estimated to remain the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in 2019.5,6
Between 2009 and 2013, 612 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer and between 2011 to 2015, 153 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths were attributed to colorectal cancer.7
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend a minimum of two serves of fruit per day for males and females aged 15 years and over. For vegetables, the recommended minimum daily intake varies between 5 and 6 serves per day depending on age and sex (see ‘About the data’).1
For a comparison with the broader Australian community see the NCCI ‘Diet’
Current status
Fruit intake
In 2018-19, 39.4% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people met the dietary guideline for fruit intake, and intake was higher for females (43.6%) compared to males (35.0%).
The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people meeting the dietary guideline for daily fruit intake ranged across the age groups for persons, 15-17 (49.0%),18-24 (41.6%), 25-34 (37.0%), 35-44 (35.0%), 45-54 (32.5%) and 55 years and over age groups (44.5%).
Remoteness
Fruit intake was slightly lower among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Non-Remote areas (38.8%), than in Remote areas (42.3%).
Vegetable intake
In 2018-19, 4.2% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people met the dietary guideline for vegetable intake, and intake was lower for males (1.7%) than for females (6.3%).
The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people meeting the dietary guideline for daily vegetable intake ranged across the age groups for persons, 15-17 (4.3%),18-24 (2.5%), 25-34 (4.0%),35-44 (4.3%) 45-54 (4.9%) and 55 years and over age groups (5.3%). Vegetable intake was higher across all age categories for females compared to males.
Remoteness
Fruit intake was similar among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Non-Remote (4.3%) and Remote areas (3.6%).
Trends
Fruit intake
From 2012-13 to 2018-19, the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people meeting the guideline for daily fruit intake decreased slightly from 42.8% to 39.4%.
Remoteness
The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people meeting the dietary guideline for fruit intake decreased from 48.9% in 2012-13 to 42.3% in 2018-19 in Remote areas, but in Non-remote areas remained similar (41.2% in 2012-13 and 38.8% in 2018-19).
Vegetable intake
The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people meeting the guideline for daily vegetable intake remained about the same (4.3% in 2012-13, 4.2% in 2018-19)
Remoteness
The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people meeting the dietary guideline for daily vegetable intake was similar in Remote Areas, ranging from 2.6% in 2012-13 to 3.6% in 2018-19. Likewise, in Non-remote areas the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people meeting the dietary guideline for daily vegetable intake remained similar, ranging from 4.8% in 2012-13 to 4.3% in 2018-19.
Barriers to healthy eating
A healthy diet can be influenced by a range of socio-economic, geographical and environmental factors. Food access and food supply issues are of particular importance in rural and remote areas where purchase price, particularly for perishable foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy foods, are usually higher. 8, 9. Around 19% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in Remote and Very remote areas of Australia, compared to around 1% of the broader Australian community, where access to services is more difficult.10 Low income combined with high food costs may result in many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people spending a large proportion of their income on food. In 2012-13, 9% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over went without food when they could not afford to buy more. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are seven times more likely as to go without food due to financial constraints, compared to the broader Australian community.11
Australian Government initiatives such as Outback Stores Pty Ltd work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to improve access to healthy foods in remote Australia with the goal of improving health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote Australia.
About the data
This measure shows average daily fruit and vegetable consumption for adults aged 15 years and over, and the proportion of adults aged 15 years who met the dietary guideline for daily fruit and vegetable intake.
Numerator: Usual daily number of serves of fruit / vegetables reported by adults aged 15 years and over.
Denominator: Number of persons aged 15 years and over, including those reporting that they did not consume fruit / vegetables.
Recommended fruit and vegetable intake
The 2013 NHMRC Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend the following serves of fruit and vegetables per day:
Recommended fruit and vegetable intake
The 2013 NHMRC Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend the following serves of fruit and vegetables per day:
| Recommended Serves* per day | 12-17 years | 18 years | 19-50 years | 51-70 years | 70 years and over |
| Fruit | |||||
| Males | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Females | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Vegetable | |||||
| Males | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Females | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
* One serve of vegetables is approximately half a cup of cooked vegetables or one cup of salad vegetables (equivalent to approximately 75 grams). One serve of fruit is approximately 150 grams of fresh fruit or 30 grams of dried fruit.
References
Activity in this area
Data:
Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4715.0 - National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, 2018-19. Accessed March 2020; https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4715.0Main+Features12018-19?OpenDocumentAustralian Bureau of Statistics. 2018. 4364.00.55.001 – National Health Survey, 2017-18. Accessed September 2016; http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/PrimaryMainFeatures/4364.0.55.001?OpenDocument
Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2014. 4727.0.55.004 – Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Physical Activity, 2012-13. Accessed October 2016; http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4727.0.55.004main+features12012-13
Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2016. 4364.0.55.012 - Australian Health Survey: Consumption of Food Groups from the Australian Dietary Guidelines, 2011-12. Accessed October 2016; http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4364.0.55.012Main+Features12011-12?OpenDocument
Social Health Atlases of Australia: Prevalence of selected health risk factors (estimates), 2020; [Accessed January 2022]; Available at: https://phidu.torrens.edu.au/social-health-atlases/indicators-and-notes-on-the-data/social-health-atlases-of-australia-contents#prevalence-of-selected-health-risk-factors-estimates
Policy:
Australian Government Department of Health. Nutrition and Healthy Eating. Accessed October 2016; http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-food-index.htm
Cancer Australia. National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer Framework. 2015
Cancer Australia. Optimal Care Pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer. 2018 Available from: https://canceraustralia.gov.au/publications-and-resources/cancer-australia-publications/optimal-care-pathway-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-people-cancer
References
1. National Health and Medical Research Council (2013) Australian Dietary Guidelines. Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council.
2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2019. Australian Burden of Disease Study: impact and causes of illness and death in Australia 2015. Australian Burden of Disease Study series no.19. Cat. No. BOD 22. Canberra: AIHW.
3. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2016. Australian Burden of Disease Study: Impact and causes of illness and death in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2011. Australian Burden of Disease Study series no. 6. Cat. no. BOD 7. Canberra: AIHW.
4. Cancer Australia, 2015. Lifestyle risk factors and the primary prevention of cancer. Surry Hills: Cancer Australia.
5. Bowel Cancer statistics. Cancer Australia; 2019. Accessed August 2020; https://bowel-cancer.canceraustralia.gov.au/statistics
6. Australian Government DoHA (Department of Health and Ageing) 2005. The Australian Bowel Cancer Screening Pilot Program and beyond: final evaluation report. Screening monograph no. 6/2005. Canberra: DoHA.
7. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2018. Cancer in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people of Australia. Cat. No. CAN 109. Accessed March 2020: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/cancer-in-indigenous-australians/contents/summary
8. Pratt, S, DeMamiel, M, Reye, K, Huey, A & Pope, A 2014. Food Security in Remote Indigenous Communities, Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet, Report, no.2, ANAO: Canberra.
9. Scelza, BA 2012. Food scarcity, not economic constraint limits consumption in a rural Aboriginal community, Australian Journal of Rural Health, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 108-112.
10. Austraian Bureau of Statistics, 2018. Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, June 2016. ABS cat. no.3238.0.55.001. Canberra: ABS.
11. Brimblecombe, J.K. and O’Dea, K., 2009. The role of energy cost in food choices for an Aboriginal population in northern Australia. Medical journal of Australia, vol 190 no. 10, pp.549-551.