Indigenous Australians Study - Groups Experiencing Inequality
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
The nature and extent of the health inequities
517,000 people or 2.5% of the total Australian population is ATSI.
In 2006, the ATSI population had a median age of 21 years compared with 37 years for the non-Indigenous population.
In June 2006, 32% of ATSI’s people living in major cities, 43% in regional areas, and 25% in remote areas.
MORTALITY
Life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men is 67.2 years where for non-indigenous men it is 78.7 years. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, their life expectancy is 72.9 years and 82.6 years for non-Indigenous women
Male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infant mortality in the Northern Territory was about 15 deaths per 1,000 live births, while female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infant mortality was 12 deaths per 1,000. For non-Indigenous males the rate was 4.4 deaths per 1,000 births and for females it was 3.3 deaths per 1,000
The main causes of death is diseases of the circulatory system (668 or 25.7%), Neoplasms (495 or 19.0%), External causes of mortality (353 or 13.6%) and Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (251 or 9.7%) accounted for just over two-thirds (68.0%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths.
MORBIDITY
Main causes of poor health:
• Asthma
• Heart and circulatory problems/diseases
• Hearing loss and diseases of the ear
• Diabetes
• Kidney Disease
Asthma was reported by around one in seven Indigenous Australians (15%) in 2004-05
ATSI people were 1.6 times more likely to report asthma as non-Indigenous people. Asthma was reported almost twice as often in non-remote areas (17%) as in remote areas (9%) with ATSI’s.
Indigenous people were 1.3 times more likely than non-Indigenous people to report heart disease and/or circulatory problems
Around one in eight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (12%) reported ear diseases and/or hearing problems in 2004-05, compared to 15%
The nature and extent of the health inequities
517,000 people or 2.5% of the total Australian population is ATSI.
In 2006, the ATSI population had a median age of 21 years compared with 37 years for the non-Indigenous population.
In June 2006, 32% of ATSI’s people living in major cities, 43% in regional areas, and 25% in remote areas.
MORTALITY
Life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men is 67.2 years where for non-indigenous men it is 78.7 years. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, their life expectancy is 72.9 years and 82.6 years for non-Indigenous women
Male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infant mortality in the Northern Territory was about 15 deaths per 1,000 live births, while female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infant mortality was 12 deaths per 1,000. For non-Indigenous males the rate was 4.4 deaths per 1,000 births and for females it was 3.3 deaths per 1,000
The main causes of death is diseases of the circulatory system (668 or 25.7%), Neoplasms (495 or 19.0%), External causes of mortality (353 or 13.6%) and Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (251 or 9.7%) accounted for just over two-thirds (68.0%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths.
MORBIDITY
Main causes of poor health:
• Asthma
• Heart and circulatory problems/diseases
• Hearing loss and diseases of the ear
• Diabetes
• Kidney Disease
Asthma was reported by around one in seven Indigenous Australians (15%) in 2004-05
ATSI people were 1.6 times more likely to report asthma as non-Indigenous people. Asthma was reported almost twice as often in non-remote areas (17%) as in remote areas (9%) with ATSI’s.
Indigenous people were 1.3 times more likely than non-Indigenous people to report heart disease and/or circulatory problems
Around one in eight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (12%) reported ear diseases and/or hearing problems in 2004-05, compared to 15%