Chronic and infectious diseases in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Abstract

Aboriginal Australians are hospitalised for endocrine, skin and respiratory conditions, external causes, circulatory diseases, infectious and parasitic diseases, mental and behavioural causes and complications of pregnancy at between 1.5 and 2.9 times the rate of non-Aboriginal Australians.3 Note that hospitalisation data have limitations as measures of morbidity: disparities between morbidity in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians are likely to be greater than indicated by these data. The premature mortality and higher morbidity in Aboriginal Australians are mainly due to chronic diseases primarily attributable to social, economic and educational disadvantage, with associated higher prevalence of negative health-related behaviours.