In this episode of PodMD, NAB’s Head of Behavioural and Industry Economics and author of the NAB Health insights report, Dean Pearson, will be discussing the 2026 NAB Health Insights Report (Part 2). We discuss the key findings of the report, including the relationship Australians have with health management, the importance of prevention, health statistics across numerous demographics, and more.
Reference:
2026 NAB Health Insights Report (Part 2)
- Transcript
Please note this is a machine generated transcription and may contain some errors.
*As always, all in this PodMD podcast is intended for health professionals and the comments are of a general nature. Information given is not intended as specific medical advice pertaining to any given patient. If you have a clinical issue with one of your patients please seek appropriate advice from a colleague with expertise in the area.
Dean Pearson is the Head of Behavioural and Industry Economics at NAB. Dean leads a team of analysts responsible for providing unique insights into consumer and business behaviour by intersecting economics, psychology and advanced data analytics. As a behavioural economist and commentator with almost 30 years’ experience, he has worked to debunk the view that humans are rational, clear-thinking beings. Instead, we behave and make choices that are often illogical and based on emotion. And, if we are to truly understand the economy, it is important that we know the underlying emotional state and motives of the people who work and live within it.
Welcome to PodMD. Today we’re looking at how Australians are thinking about their health, what is getting in the way of better self-care, and what this means for medical professionals, policymakers and health businesses.
The latest NAB Health Insights research points to a clear and constructive story: Australians are taking greater ownership of their health. They understand the importance of prevention. They know many of the behaviours that support better health and wellbeing. But there is still a gap between intention and action.
To unpack the findings, I’m joined by Dean Pearson, NAB’s Head of Behavioural and Industry Economics.
Dean, thanks for joining us.
Dean: Thanks. Great to be here.
Let’s start with the big picture. If you had to sum up the research in one message, what would it be?
Dean: The most important message is that Australians are increasingly engaged in managing their own health. Personal accountability is strengthening, preventative thinking remains solid, and many people have a clear sense of what supports better health and wellbeing. The challenge now is helping people turn that awareness into action. That means making healthy choices easier to start, easier to afford and easier to keep going with. For medical professionals, the message is practical. Many Australians already understand the importance of better health. The job is to make healthy choices easier in daily life, especially when people are tired, time-poor or under pressure.
So this is not a story about Australians not caring about their health.
Dean: No, not at all. The research actually suggests the opposite. Many Australians do care and many feel responsible. The issue is that awareness and responsibility do not always turn into sustained action on their own. That is where behavioural economics helps, because it looks at the everyday gap between what people intend to do and what life allows them to do.
One of the strongest findings in the report is about personal responsibility. What did the research show?
Dean: Agreement with the statement, “When all is said and done, I’m responsible for managing my own health,” rose again in 2025. The average score increased to 8.4 out of 10, and around three in four Australians recorded very high agreement. That is a powerful signal. It suggests health is no longer seen simply as something delivered by the system. Increasingly, people understand it as something they need to actively manage in their daily lives.
Were there particular groups where this was especially strong?
Dean: Yes. This sense of responsibility was particularly strong among older Australians and in rural areas, where very high agreement rose sharply. That is interesting because rural Australians also face some of the clearest practical barriers. They may feel highly responsible for managing their health, but still face constraints around cost, distance, service availability or chronic health needs.
So responsibility is strengthening, but that does not mean action is easy.
Dean: Exactly. That is one of the central tensions in the research. Fewer Australians said they had prioritised their health more over the past year. That fell to 40%, down from 45% in 2024, and was the lowest level since tracking began. So we have this responsibility-action gap. People feel accountable, but many still need the energy, time, resources, confidence and emotional bandwidth to act on that responsibility consistently.
What does that mean for medical professionals?
Dean: It means many patients may not need more persuasion. They already understand a lot of what supports better health. The more useful role is to make the next step easier: reduce effort, keep it simple and help progress feel achievable. For example, instead of giving a long list of ideal behaviours, a practitioner might focus on one small action the patient can realistically take this week. That can be much more effective than simply reinforcing what the patient already knows.
The report also talks about a satisfaction paradox. What does that mean?
Dean: Australians remain moderately satisfied with their overall health, scoring 6.7 out of 10. Self-rated physical health also sat at 6.7, slightly below mental and emotional health at 7.0. So many people still feel broadly comfortable with their health, even as some indicators soften. That matters because people who feel “fine enough” may not respond well to warning-based messages. They may be more receptive to prevention when it is framed as a manageable way to maintain wellbeing, rather than as another demand or a threat.
That is a subtle but important point.
Dean: It is. If someone feels they are doing okay, telling them they are at risk may not be the most effective approach. A more constructive message might be: “Here is one small thing that can help you maintain your health and make life easier later.” That feels more achievable and less confronting.
Let’s talk about the barriers. What stops Australians from taking better care of themselves?
Dean: The three most common barriers were lack of motivation, tiredness and money. Around one in three Australians cited lack of motivation, three in ten said they were too tired, and nearly three in ten said they did not have enough money. These are important because they show that health improvement is not simply a matter of information. It is a matter of capacity.
What do you mean by capacity?
Dean: People may know what to do. The harder part is doing it consistently when energy, money, time or mental bandwidth are limited. So this is less a knowledge problem and more a support problem. In fact, one encouraging finding is that fewer Australians said they did not know what to do. That fell to 9%, from 13%. But more people pointed to tiredness, time pressure, or being able to start but not keep going. So the focus shifts from simply explaining what is healthy to helping people make it happen. How do we help people build routines? How do we make the next step easier? How do we support people when motivation naturally fades?
Were the barriers the same for everyone?
Dean: No, and that is a key point. Women were more likely than men to report motivation, tiredness, financial barriers and caring responsibilities. Younger Australians were more likely to struggle with motivation, fatigue, time pressure and keeping routines going. Rural Australians were more likely to point to money. The LGBTQI+ group faced a particularly heavy concentration of barriers. So the barrier is not one thing. It changes with life stage, income, geography, gender and caring responsibilities.
What does that mean in practice?
Dean: It means health support works best when it reflects people’s lives. For a younger adult, the issue may be motivation and routine. For a rural patient, it may be cost and access. For a higher-income professional, it may be time pressure. For someone with caring responsibilities, it may be exhaustion and lack of flexibility. The practical implication, especially in general practice, is to diagnose the barrier, not just the condition.
That is a useful phrase: diagnose the barrier, not just the condition. How can medical professionals apply that?
Dean: A health professional might ask: “What is most likely to get in the way of you doing this?” The answer might be cost, tiredness, transport, time, confidence, caring responsibilities or confusion.
The third major insight is a bit more nuanced. Fewer Australians reported a medical condition requiring ongoing treatment or medication, but among those who do have a condition, complexity appears to be rising. Can you explain that?
Dean: Yes. The proportion of Australians reporting a medical condition requiring ongoing treatment or medication fell to 46%, down from 51% in 2023. That is a positive headline. But among those who do have a condition, the share reporting that their condition is chronic increased to 87%, and multiple chronic conditions also became more common. So fewer people may be in ongoing treatment overall, but those who are may need more coordinated, persistent and tailored support.
Why does that matter?
Dean: Because chronic and multiple conditions create cumulative burdens. Patients may face repeated appointments, medication costs, transport challenges, emotional strain, decision fatigue and a need to coordinate care across different providers. That means support has to be more integrated and more continuous. Proactive check-ins, simpler care pathways, coordinated care models and affordability all become more important.
Which groups are more exposed?
Dean: It is not evenly spread. Rural Australians, women, older Australians, lower-income groups, NDIS participants and the LGBTQI+ community all show elevated vulnerabilities in different ways. This is where national averages can hide important differences. A headline number may improve, while specific groups still face significant complexity and access challenges.
The mental health findings also had a cautiously positive tone. What stood out?
Dean: Reported diagnoses in the past 12 months fell to 13%. The share of Australians who felt they needed professional help for emotions, stress or mental health fell to 33%, the lowest since tracking began. That is encouraging. But again, the benefit is not evenly distributed. Women, younger Australians, lower-income groups, NDIS participants and the LGBTQI+ community continue to report materially higher need or lifetime diagnosis.
And the report mentions treatment plans as well.
Dean: Yes. Mental Health Treatment Plans fell to 14% overall and broadly aligned with diagnosis rates. At the same time, lower-income Australians reported higher recent diagnosis than higher-income Australians while being slightly less likely to have a treatment plan. That points to an opportunity to keep improving the link between need and formal support, especially where affordability, navigation and access make timely care harder.
So the policy message is to focus support where it is most needed.
Dean: Exactly. The data does not suggest a uniform national problem. It suggests a need to focus on the people and communities where barriers are greatest.
Let’s turn to prevention. The report says preventative health is becoming more practical, personal and mainstream. What supports that conclusion?
Dean: Despite fewer Australians saying they prioritised their health more, the average preventative mindset score held at 7.0, and the share with a very high preventative mindset rose to 44%, the highest since tracking began. That tells us prevention still matters to Australians. But again, many need prevention to be easier to fit into real life.
What kinds of preventative behaviours do people value most?
Dean: Good quality sleep and healthy diet remain the top preventative measures, followed by an active lifestyle, healthy body weight and regular health check-ups. What is interesting is how practical these priorities are. They are not abstract. They are everyday behaviours. Sleep, diet, movement, weight, check-ups, connection, stress management, time outdoors and sun protection all ranked well ahead of monitoring health through apps, phones, devices or wearables, which was nominated by only 3%.
So prevention is still more about habits than technology.
Dean: Yes. Technology can help, but prevention is still mostly lived through habits, relationships and routines. The risk is that we over-focus on digital tools when the bigger task is helping people keep up ordinary, everyday actions.
Were there differences by age or group?
Dean: Yes. Over 65s placed more emphasis on regular health check-ups, health tests and dental checks. Younger adults were more likely to value time outdoors and fitness programs. Women placed more emphasis on diet, health tests and sun protection. Men placed relatively more emphasis on not smoking or quitting. That suggests prevention messages are likely to work best when they are tailored to life stage and context, rather than presented as a generic checklist.
One finding I found interesting was that lower-income Australians reported a very high preventative mindset at a slightly higher rate than higher-income Australians. Why is that important?
Dean: It challenges the assumption that preventative health engagement is mainly driven by affluence. The issue is not necessarily desire. It is the ability to convert prevention into action. If people understand the value of prevention but face cost, time or access barriers, the task is to make prevention easier to practise, not simply easier to understand.
That has big implications for equity.
Dean: It does. Preventative health can sometimes be framed as a personal responsibility issue, and personal responsibility does matter. But the research shows that responsibility is easier to act on when people have practical support. If someone wants to act but cannot afford the appointment, cannot get there, cannot take time off work, or cannot sustain the routine, then awareness alone will not solve the problem.
The report also touches on smoking, vaping and oral health. What did those findings show?
Dean: The combined number who smoke or vape fell to 14%, down from 20% in 2024. Belief that vaping is less damaging than smoking also declined. That suggests changing norms, regulation and risk awareness may be reshaping choices. But smoking and vaping remain higher among men, lower-income Australians, NDIS participants and the LGBTQI+ group. On oral health, dental behaviours improved slightly. Seventy-four per cent of Australians said they brush twice daily, 55% attend regular dental check-ups and 39% floss daily. But many still fall short of recommended routines, especially across rural areas, lower-income groups and some specific communities.
So again, the pattern is that knowledge and intention are not enough.
Dean: Exactly. Most people know oral health matters. The challenge is consistent preventative action. That pattern runs through the whole report.
Let’s talk about AI. The report says AI can strengthen healthcare when trust and transparency lead the way. What did Australians say?
Dean: Transparency was the strongest point of agreement. Seventy-seven per cent said health professionals should be open about using AI in diagnosis, treatment or information. Comfort with AI-assisted diagnosis, treatment and information was lower, sitting around the low-to-mid 40s. Meanwhile, one in four Australians said they had used AI to support their health and wellness. So people are not rejecting AI. But trust will determine the pace of adoption.
What does trust look like in this context?
Dean: Patients want to know when AI is being used, why it is being used, how it affects their care, and whether a human professional remains accountable. The key question is whether AI feels like a support to clinical judgement or a substitute for human care. In behavioural terms, adoption will depend less on technical capability and more on perceived fairness, safety, explainability and control.
Were there differences across groups?
Dean: Yes. Use was much higher among 18-24 year olds and NDIS participants. Comfort was stronger among men and capital city residents, and weaker among women, rural Australians and older groups. So adoption will not be the same for everyone. The groups most open to AI may not be the same groups most trusting of it. And some groups that could benefit from improved access may also be cautious about how AI is used.
So people need to understand how AI is being used.
Dean: Exactly. If health providers use AI, they need to explain it clearly. What is it doing? What is it not doing? How is patient privacy protected? Who is accountable? How does it support, rather than replace, human judgement?
Let’s bring this back to medical professionals. If you were speaking directly to them, what would you say?
Dean: I would keep the message simple. Many patients do not need more instruction; they need practical support to act on what they already value. Australians increasingly understand the importance of prevention and accept responsibility for their health. But fatigue, cost, time pressure, motivation and access often stop action from happening. So a useful consultation question is: “What would make the next healthy step easier, more affordable and more realistic this week?”
Can you make that practical? What would change?
Dean: There are five.
- First, diagnose the barrier, not just the condition. Ask what is most likely to get in the way: cost, tiredness, time, motivation, caring responsibilities, transport, confidence or confusion.
- Second, make the next step smaller and more specific. One clear action, a realistic timeframe and a written next step will often be more useful than a long list of ideal behaviours.
- Third, design for follow-through, not just intention. Patients may start but struggle to keep going, so follow-up reminders, check-ins, habit cues and simple progress markers can help turn intention into routine.
- Fourth, personalise prevention to the patient’s life stage and constraints. Older patients may respond to screening, check-ups and continuity. Younger patients may need help with routines and motivation. Lower-income and rural patients may need affordable, accessible and lower-friction pathways.
- Fifth, build trust as technology enters care. If AI or digital tools are used, explain when, why and how they support clinical judgement, and make clear that human care, privacy and accountability remain central.
This podcast is especially aimed at medical professionals. What should they take from the research?
Dean: For medical professionals, the findings are highly relevant because their work sits where these issues come together: prevention, chronic condition management, mental health, affordability and patient behaviour. The research suggests many patients already accept they are responsible for their health. The challenge is not always awareness. Often, the challenge is follow-through. A patient may know they need to sleep better, move more, manage their weight, attend screening, reduce smoking or vaping, or seek support for stress or mental health. But the barriers are practical: tiredness, cost, time, motivation, caring responsibilities and difficulty keeping routines going. For medical professionals, the role is not just to give clinical advice. It is to help the patient turn that advice into something they can actually do.
What might that look like in a standard consultation?
Dean: It could be as simple as asking one extra question: “What is most likely to get in the way of you doing this?” That question can change the conversation. If the answer is cost, the plan may need to be staged or lower cost. If the answer is tiredness, the goal may need to be smaller. If the answer is time, the behaviour needs to attach to an existing routine. If the answer is motivation, the plan may need reminders, follow-up or a more immediate reason to act. The research also suggests that patients may respond better to prevention when it is framed as maintenance rather than warning. Many Australians still feel broadly satisfied with their health, so a message like “this will help you stay well and make things easier later” may land better than simply telling people they are at risk.
And what about chronic and mental health care?
Dean: This is where medical professionals are central. The research shows fewer Australians reported a condition requiring ongoing treatment overall, but among those with a condition, chronic complexity has increased. That highlights the value of continuity, coordinated care, proactive follow-up and making the patient journey easier to navigate. The mental health findings also matter. Reported need has eased overall, but some groups still report materially higher need, and lower-income Australians appear more exposed to recent diagnosis while being slightly less likely to have a Mental Health Treatment Plan. That suggests access, affordability and navigation remain real issues. So the role of medical professionals is not only diagnosis and treatment. It is also helping patients navigate the system, prioritise the next step and sustain care over time.
So for medical professionals, the practical message is to make action feel doable.
Dean: Exactly. Medical professionals cannot remove every barrier, but they are well placed to identify the barrier most likely to stop action and work around it. A small shift in the consultation can make a meaningful difference.
You have referred a few times to behavioural economics. How does that lens help explain the findings?
Dean: Behavioural economics helps us understand why people do not always act on what they know or intend to do. Traditional thinking might say: if people know prevention is important, they will take preventative action. But real life is more complicated. People are tired. They are busy. They are under financial pressure. They face uncertainty. They may intend to act, but the effort required is too high at the wrong moment. So the behavioural lens asks a practical question: what would make the desired action easier, more immediate, more affordable and more personally relevant?
So the issue is not just motivation.
Dean: Correct. Motivation matters, but it naturally rises and falls. A stronger approach is to design systems that make healthy action easier, even when motivation is low. That might mean reminders, default follow-ups, simpler booking, clearer instructions, shorter pathways, small goals, feedback loops and support that arrives at the right moment.
What should policymakers and health businesses take from the research?
Dean: First, personal responsibility is real and should be supported. Australians are not passive. Many want to manage their health well. Second, the main task is to close the gap between intention and action. That means addressing practical barriers: cost, time, access, fatigue, complexity and confidence. Third, support needs to be targeted. National averages can look positive while specific communities still face elevated barriers. Rural Australians, lower-income groups, younger adults, women, NDIS participants and the LGBTQI+ community show different types of vulnerability. Fourth, prevention should be made practical. The behaviours people value most are everyday behaviours like sleep, diet, activity, check-ups and stress management. The question is how to make those behaviours easier to sustain. Finally, technology has a role, but trust has to come first. AI can strengthen healthcare, but only if it is introduced transparently and responsibly.
If listeners remember one thing from this episode, what should it be?
Dean: Better health is more likely when it feels achievable. The research shows Australians are taking greater ownership of their health. The next step is to match that ownership with support that recognises fatigue, lowers complexity and helps people turn good intentions into manageable, repeatable actions. For medical professionals and health organisations, that means making prevention and self-care feel less like another demand on patients and more like something the health system helps make possible.
That is a strong place to finish. Dean, thanks for joining us.
Dean: Thanks for having me.
And thanks to everyone listening to this podcast. Today’s discussion was based on NAB Health Insights: Patient Attitudes and Behaviours, which explores how Australians are thinking about health, prevention, access, technology and the practical barriers that shape everyday behaviour.
*We do hope you enjoy this podcast, but please remember that the information discussed here is of a general nature and is not intended to serve as advice. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of NAB Health, not PodMD. NAB Health reminds you that any information or opinion in this podcast is general in nature and does not consider your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Nothing in this podcast is a recommendation and you should seek independent professional advice before making any decisions based on the information in this podcast.
