Transcript Slide 1

Variations in the health status of
population groups in Australia
Including:
• males and females
• higher and lower socioeconomic status groups
• rural and remote populations
• Indigenous populations
Australian males and females
Life expectancy
• Over the past 100 years in Australia, life
expectancy has been consistently higher for
women than for men, although the size of the
difference has varied
Q: Why do you think this is so?
Q: What may have caused the variations?
Australian males and females
Mortality
• In 2005, male deaths outnumbered female
deaths, with a ratio of 107 males to
100 females
• The leading cause of death for males and
females is coronary heart disease
Q: Do you think gender has an impact on
mortality? Explain.
Australian males and females
Morbidity
• In general, women have a higher rates of
illness and disability than men
• Women are more likely to report illness than
men
Q: Why do you think women are generally more
likely to report illness than men? Is this true in
your experience?
Australian males and females…
explaining the variations
Socially determined behavior
High-risk industries
Risk-taking behaviour Aggressive behavior
Avoiding medical treatment Screening for illness
Regular contact with doctors
Physical activity and food intake
Perceptions & attitudes
Destructive behaviours
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Higher and lower socioeconomic
status groups in Australia
The wealthier you are, the healthier you are
Q: Do you agree with this statement?
Higher and lower socioeconomic
status groups in Australia
Life expectancy
• In Australia, life expectancy varies with
socioeconomic status
• For example, in 2000-01 a boy born in an area
of greatest disadvantage could expect to live
3.6 years less than a boy born in area of least
disadvantage
Q: Why do you think this is so?
Higher and lower socioeconomic
status groups in Australia
Mortality
• People from lower socioeconomic groups have
higher rates of mortality overall, as well as for
most individual causes of death
• For example, in 2001-03, diabetes-related
mortality in the most disadvantaged areas was
82% higher than in the least disadvantaged areas
Q: Why does socioeconomic status have a negative
impact on mortality in Australia?
Higher and lower socioeconomic
status groups in Australia
Burden of disease
• Populations in areas with lower
socioeconomic status experience
proportionally more burden than populations
in areas with higher socioeconomic status
• The most disadvantaged populations have
37.7% greater burden than the least
disadvantaged burdens (2003)
Socioeconomic status groups in
Australia… explaining the variations
Limited opportunities Preventative health services
Resources DENTISTRY emergency services
Power to make choices Social gradient accidents
Regular contact with doctors
Opportunities Long-term health conditions
Exercise
Life chances HIGHER INCOME
DAILY SERVES OF FRUIT Smoking
Obesity
Risk factors
Rural and remote populations in
Australia
Life expectancy
• Life expectancy decreases with increasing
remoteness
• Compared with major cities, the life
expectancy in regional areas is 1 – 2 years
lower and up to 7 years lower in remote areas
Q: Why do you think this is so?
Q: What may have caused the variations?
Rural and remote populations in
Australia
Morbidity
• Australian’s in rural and remote areas are more
likely to have certain chronic diseases
• For example, preventable cancers such as those
associated with UV, smoking and those
detectable through screening (e.g. cervical)
Q: Why do you think the incidence of preventable
cancers, depression, diabetes and arthritis in
females is higher in rural and remote areas?
Rural and remote populations in
Australia
Burden of disease
• 64.5% of the burden of disease in Australia
comes from major cities (because they
account for two-thirds of the population)
• Males experience more of this burden in all
areas, but particularly in remote areas
• Total burden per head of population increases
with remoteness, due to higher rates of
burden for most causes, particularly injuries
Rural and remote populations…
explaining the variations
Behaviours associated with poorer health
Overweight and obesity POLUTION
Higher levels of smoking Sedentary behavior
ISOLATION Harmful drug and alcohol use
Screening for illness ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Regular contact with doctors
Eating adequate daily fruit and vegetables
Indigenous populations in Australia
Life expectancy
• Estimated life expectancy at birth for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is
much lower than for other Australians
• The gap is approximately 10 years
Q: Why do you think this is so?
Q: What causes the variation?
Indigenous populations in Australia
Mortality
• 71% of Indigenous Australians who died in
2001-05 were younger than 65 (as opposed to
21% for non-Indigenous population)
• In 2001-05, the three leading causes of death
were diseases of circulatory system, external
causes (e.g. accidents, self-harm and assault)
and neoplasms (including cancers)
Indigenous populations in Australia
Morbidity
• Indigenous people have higher rates of ill health than
any other group in Australia
– Indigenous newborns are more likely to be underweight
– One in eight Indigenous people reported having a longterm heart condition
– Smoking related cancers are more common
– Cervical cancer is more common; breast cancer is less
common
– Indigenous Australians are 3.5 times more likely to
contract diabetes than non-Indigenous Australians
Indigenous populations in Australia
Burden of disease
• The burden of disease and injury among
Indigenous Australians in 2003 was estimated
by the AIHW in 2008 to be just under 96000
DALYs
• This represents 3.6% of the total burden of
disease in Australia for a population that
makes up 2.5% of the total population
Indigenous populations in Australia…
explaining the variations
Nutrition TRADITIONS & CUSTOMS SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS
Physical activity BODY WEIGHT Drugs
Regular contact with doctors
Immunisation Breastfeeding education
HOUSING SMOKING Alcohol use BMI remote & rural
Eating adequate daily fruit and vegetables