In recent weeks the Australian institute of Health and Welfare released Australia’s Health 2016. This document is the most up-to-date document on the health of Australia as a nation. This article is the first in a series to highlight some of the key things from Australia’s Health 2016 that are relevant for HSC PDHPE students.

First, the opening pages of Australia’s Health 2016 in Brief depict Australia as a population of 100 and therefore provide for us a quick view of some of the issues in Australia around health. It makes it clear that 13% of Australians still smoke daily and 18% are risky drinkers. It highlights that only 2% of Australians have been diagnosed with cancer and survived in the last 5 years, that 5% of Australians have diabetes and 20% have had a mental disorder.

australias-health-2016-in-brief-100-population

However, some of the more alarming statistics are that 50% of Australians suffer from a chronic disease, more than 60% are overweight or obese and 95% do not eat the daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables (2 and 5). Australia’s Health 2016 also provided further data on our life expectancy, which continues to rise.

Australia’s Health 2016 revealed one of the first major changes in morbidity rates, with cancer overtaking CVD as the overall number 1 killer in Australia, though only by 500 people a year. However, when broken down by individual disease CHD is at number 1, and by a long way for males.

australias-health-2016-leading-causes-of-morbidity

Overall our burden of disease has decreased by 10%. For burden of disease, cancer once again tops the list followed by CVD causing the largest loss of DALYs (Disability-Adjusted-Life-Years). Chronic disease is also distributed unevenly with greater chronic disease in the elderly (no surprises there), people living in rural areas, females (probably because they live longer) and socioeconomically disadvantaged people.

Resources

Australia’s Health 2016 http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=60129555788

Australia’s health 2016 – in Brief http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=60129557059