Introduction
This is the second report on the health of Aboriginal adults from the New South Wales Population Health Survey, which presents results for 2006-2009 and compares those results with previous years. At both the statewide and area health service levels, the report will assist in monitoring health, policy development, and service planning.
The survey instrument for the New South Wales Population Health Survey was developed by the Health Survey Program in consultation with key stakeholders, area health services, other government departments, and a range of experts. All questions were field tested prior to inclusion in the survey. The conduct of the survey was approved by the NSW Health Population and Health Services Research Ethics Committee. This 2006-2009 Report on Adult Aboriginal Health was approved by the AH&MRC Ethics Committee.
Other sources of information on the health of Aboriginal people in NSW include: the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey 2004-05, the Census of Population and Housing 2006, the Community Housing and Infrastructure Needs Survey 2006, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey 2008, the Bettering the Evaluation and Care Health Survey, and national administrative data collections such as the National Hospital Morbidity Data Collection, the National Mortality Data Collection, and the National Perinatal Data Collection.[1-5]
In this report, the term "Aboriginal" is used in preference to "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander", in recognition that Aboriginal people are the original inhabitants of New South Wales.[6]
The report contains 42 health indicators:
Health behaviours
Alcohol risk drinking, screening mammogram in the last 2 years, Pap test in the last 2 years, hysterectomy, influenza immunisation in the last 12 months, pneumococcal immunisation in the last 5 years, lives in a home with a smoke alarm or detector, consumes 2 or more serves of fruit a day, consumes 5 or more serves of vegetables a day, consumes 3 or more serves of vegetables a day, usually consumes lower fat or skim milk, experienced food insecurity in the last 12 months, adequate physical activity, current smoking, lives in a smoke-free household, and bans smoking in car.
Health status
Self-rated health as excellent or very good or good, current asthma, blood pressure measured in the last 2 years, ever had high blood pressure, cholesterol measured in the last 2 years, ever had high cholesterol, diabetes or high blood glucose, mental health (psychological distress), visited a dental professional in the last 12 months, all natural teeth missing, overweight, obese, and overweight or obese.
Health services
Private health insurance, difficulties getting health care, emergency department presentations, hospital admissions, general practice attendances, public dental service attendances, and community health service attendances.
Social capital
Most people can be trusted, feels safe walking down their street after dark, area has a reputation for being safe, visited neighbours in the last week, ran into friends and acquaintances when shopping in local area, and would be sad to leave their neighbourhood.
These indicators are presented in graphical and tabular form. For each indicator the report includes a bar chart of the indicator by age group and sex, a hi-lo chart of the indicator by area health service and sex, and a line chart of trend by sex. At the end of the report, summary tables provide trends for each indicator from the first year of data collected.
For further information about the New South Wales Population Health Survey, or any of the reports produced from the survey data, visit the website at www.health.nsw.gov.au/publichealth/surveys/index.asp.
References
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, 2004-05. Catalogue No. 4715.0. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005. For further information visit www.abs.gov.au.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. Population Characteristics: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians 2006. Catalogue No. 4713.0. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010. For further information visit www.abs.gov.au.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. Population Characteristics: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, New South Wales, 2006. Catalogue No. 4713.1.55.001. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010. For further information visit www.abs.gov.au.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, Australia: Summary Booklet, 2008. Catalogue No. 4714.0.55.003. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010. For further information visit www.abs.gov.au.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, 2008. Catalogue No. 4704.0. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2008. For further information visit www.abs.gov.au.
- NSW Department of Health. Communicating positively: A guide to appropriate Aboriginal terminology. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2004. Available online at www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2004/pdf/aboriginal_terms.pdf
| Source: | New South Wales Population Health Survey 2006-2009 (HOIST). Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Department of Health. |
| Print version: | Although this page can be printed directly from your web browser, a higher quality version is available as a PDF file that can be printed or viewed on screen. |
| Produced by: | Centre for Epidemiology and Research, Population Health Division, NSW Department of Health. |
| Last updated on: | 1 August 2010 |