Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-mwx4w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-21T00:44:55.247Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Hospital morbidity among Aboriginal Australians in New South Wales

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Farhat Yusuf  and
Annette Hamilton
Farhat Yusuf
Affiliation:
School of Economic and Financial Studies
Annette Hamilton
Affiliation:
School of Behavioural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

This study examines data from 15,172 episodes of hospitalization pertaining to Aboriginal Australians discharged from public and private hospitals in New South Wales during 1978. Morbidity patterns revealed provide quantitative evidence on a whole population basis for the often impressionistic statements of those dealing with limited areas or with specific diseases.

Respiratory diseases are by far the most common and their occurrence seems to be out of proportion in relation to other diagnoses. Gastrointestinal and diarrhoeal diseases are important among young children, alcoholism among men, and diabetes among older people of both sexes. The most common surgical procedures involved abdomen, female genitals and ear, nose and throat.

It was noted that for most disease categories Aborigines were more likely to be hospitalized than non-Aborigines, the major exception being neoplasms. On the other hand, Aborigines were significantly less likely to be hospitalized for surgical operations. Overall, Aborigines were found to suffer higher levels of ill-health primarily due to their depressed economic conditions and social exclusion as well as racial discrimination to which they are commonly subjected in Australia.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 14 , Issue 4 , October 1982 , pp. 445 - 463
Copyright
Copyright © 1982, Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alderson, M.R. & Dowie, R. (1979) Health Surveys and Related Studies. Pergamon Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Armitage, P. (1976) National health survey systems in the European community. Int.J. Epidemiol. 5, 321.Google Scholar
Armstrong, M. (1979) Aboriginal Hospital Morbidity in New South Wales, 1977. Division for Health Services Research, Working Paper No. 1. Health Commission of New South Wales, Sydney.Google Scholar
Bastian, P. (1979) Coronary heart disease in tribal Aborigines - the West Kimberley survey. Aust. N.Z.J. Med. 9, 284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bateson, E.M. (1978) Destroyed lung in the Australian Aboriginal. Aust. Radiol. 22, 117.Google Scholar
Canty, A.A., Prestwood, V., Dugdale, A.E. & Lewis, A.N. (1975) Factors leading to chronic middle-ear disease. Med. J. Aust. 1, Suppl.45.Google Scholar
Chegwidden, M. & Flaherty, B.J. (1977) Aboriginal versus non-Aboriginal alcoholics in an alcohol withdrawal unit. Med. J. Aust. 1, 699.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Commission of Enquiry into Poverty (1976) Social and Medical Aspects of Poverty in Australia. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.Google Scholar
Cox, J.W. (1979) Growth characteristics of preschool Aboriginal children. Aust. paediat. J. 15, 10.Google ScholarPubMed
Doherty, R.L. (1974) A microbiologist looks at Aboriginal health. Med. J. Aust. 2, 149.Google Scholar
Edwards, L.D. (1970) Malnutrition and disease in preschool Aboriginal children in the Walgett area of New South Wales. Med. J. Aust. 2, 1007.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frith, N.C. (1975) Experiences in Public Health Nursing. Australian Department of Health Service Paper No. 10. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.Google Scholar
Gardiner, A.J. (1977) Gastroenteritis in Alice Springs. Med. J. Aust. 2, 6.Google Scholar
Gracey, M. (1973) Enteric disease in young Australian Aborigines. Aust. N.Z.J. Med. 3, 576.Google Scholar
Hiller, H.G. (1974) A review of chest X-rays of Central Australian Aboriginal infants and children. Aust. paediat. J. 10, 15.Google ScholarPubMed
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs (1979) Aboriginal Health. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.Google Scholar
Jose, D.G. & Welch, J.S. (1970) Growth retardation, anaemia and infections with malabsorption and infestation of the bowel. Med. J. Aust. 1, 349.Google Scholar
Kailis, D.G. (1971) Dental conditions observed in Australian Aboriginal children resident in Warburton and Cundelee missions, Western Australia, Aust. Dental J. 16, 44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kalokerinos, A. (1974) Every Second Child. Nelson, Sydney.Google Scholar
Kamien, M. (1975) Aborigines and alcohol. Med. J. Aust. 1, 291.Google Scholar
Kamien, M. (1978) The Dark People of Bourke: A Study of Planned Social Change. Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies Canberra.Google Scholar
Kamien, M. & Cameron, P. (1974) An analysis of white and Aboriginal children under five years of age admitted to the Bourke District Hospital from September 1971 to August 1972. Aust. paediat. J. 10, 343.Google Scholar
Kent-Hughes, E. (1972) Health, hearing and ear disease in Aboriginal school children. Med. J. Aust. 1, 1222.Google Scholar
Kirke, D.K., Vorbach, E.A. & Newman, D.M. (1970) Scurvy amongst central Australian Aboriginal children. Med. J. Aust. 1, 187CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lickiss, J.N. (1970) Health problems of Sydney Aboriginal children. Med. J. Aust. 2, 995.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maxwell, G.M., Elliot, R.B., McCoy, W.T. & Langsford, W.A. (1972) Respiratory infections in Australian Aboriginal children: a clinical and radiological study. Med. J. Aust. 2, 990.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moodie, P.M. (1969) Mortality and morbidity in Australian Aboriginal children. Med. J. Aust. 1, 180.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moodie, P.M. (1973) Aboriginal Health. Australian National University Press, Canberra.Google Scholar
Moodie, P.M. & Pederson, E.B. (1971) The Health of Australian Aborigines: An Annotated Bibliography. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.Google Scholar
National Population Inquiry (1975) Population and Australia, Vol. 2. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.Google Scholar
Nobile, S. (1974) Blood vitamin levels in Aboriginal children and their mothers in Western New South Wales. Med. J. Aust. 1, 601.Google Scholar
Reid, J. (1978) The dangers of surgery: an Aboriginal view. Med. J. Aust. 1, 90.Google Scholar
Richardson, J. & Yusuf, F. (1980) The Supply and Demand for Hospital Beds in New South Wales. School of Economic and Financial Studies Research Paper No. 218, Macquarie University, Sydney.Google Scholar
Rowley, C.D. (1970) The Destruction of Aboriginal Society, Vol. 1. Australian National University Press, Canberra.Google Scholar
Scott, W.D. (1973) Problems and Needs of the Aboriginals of Sydney. W.D. Scott, Sydney.Google Scholar
Scrimshaw, N.S.Taylor, C.E. & Gordon, J.E. (1968) Interactions of Nutrition and Infection. World Health Organization, Geneva.Google Scholar
Smith, L.R. (1980) Aboriginal Vital Statistics: an Analysis of Trends. Aboriginal Health Bulletin, No. 1. Commonwealth Department of Health, Canberra.Google Scholar
Stone, S. (1974) Aborigines in White Australia, Heinemann, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Walker, A.C. & Harry, J.G. (1972) A survey of diarrhoeal disease in malnourished Aboriginal children. Med. J. Aust. 1, 904.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willey, K. (1979) When the Sky Fell Down. Collins, Sydney.Google Scholar
Wise, P.H., Edwards, F.M., Thomas, D.W., Elliot, R.B., Hatcher, L. & Craig, R. (1970) Hyperglycaemia in the urbanized Aboriginal: the Davenport survey. Med. J. Aust. 2, 1001.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed