BACKGROUND: Aboriginal people have lower health standards than other Australians. Respiratory tract diseases are prominent causes of high morbidity and mortality rates in the Aboriginal population. However, very little is known about the patterns of respiratory illnesses which affect these people. METHOD: This paper compares Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal age-specific hospitalization patterns for respiratory tract diseases from 1988 to 1993 in Western Australia (WA). RESULTS: Aboriginal people were admitted for respiratory diseases 2-16 times more frequently than non-Aboriginals of the same age with considerable discrepancies in hospitalization rates particularly in infants, young children and older adults. High admission rates for acute respiratory tract infections, pneumonia and asthma occurred in Aboriginal infants. Pneumonia was a disproportionately frequent cause of admissions in Aboriginal infants, children and adults. Pneumonia is a more frequent cause of admission among non-metropolitan compared to metropolitan Aboriginals. Asthma was a frequent cause of admissions of Aboriginal children and hospitalization rates for this disease were higher in non-metropolitan than metropolitan areas. Chronic obstructive airway disease and respiratory tract carcinoma were important uses of hospitalization in older Aboriginals. CONCLUSIONS: Admission rates for respiratory conditions were consistently higher among the Aboriginal population and in non-metropolitan areas. The overwhelming importance of infections among Aboriginal admissions has significant implications for the prevention and management of respiratory diseases among Aboriginal people.
BACKGROUND: Aboriginal people have lower health standards than other Australians. Respiratory tract diseases are prominent causes of high morbidity and mortality rates in the Aboriginal population. However, very little is known about the patterns of respiratory illnesses which affect these people. METHOD: This paper compares Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal age-specific hospitalization patterns for respiratory tract diseases from 1988 to 1993 in Western Australia (WA). RESULTS: Aboriginal people were admitted for respiratory diseases 2-16 times more frequently than non-Aboriginals of the same age with considerable discrepancies in hospitalization rates particularly in infants, young children and older adults. High admission rates for acute respiratory tract infections, pneumonia and asthma occurred in Aboriginal infants. Pneumonia was a disproportionately frequent cause of admissions in Aboriginal infants, children and adults. Pneumonia is a more frequent cause of admission among non-metropolitan compared to metropolitan Aboriginals. Asthma was a frequent cause of admissions of Aboriginal children and hospitalization rates for this disease were higher in non-metropolitan than metropolitan areas. Chronic obstructive airway disease and respiratory tract carcinoma were important uses of hospitalization in older Aboriginals. CONCLUSIONS: Admission rates for respiratory conditions were consistently higher among the Aboriginal population and in non-metropolitan areas. The overwhelming importance of infections among Aboriginal admissions has significant implications for the prevention and management of respiratory diseases among Aboriginal people.
Authors: Danielle B Clucas; Kylie S Carville; Christine Connors; Bart J Currie; Jonathan R Carapetis; Ross M Andrews Journal: Bull World Health Organ Date: 2008-04 Impact factor: 9.408
Authors: Emma J Hamilton; Natalie Martin; Ashley Makepeace; Brett A Sillars; Wendy A Davis; Timothy M E Davis Journal: PLoS One Date: 2013-03-25 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Harish Nair; Eric Af Simões; Igor Rudan; Bradford D Gessner; Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner; Jian Shayne F Zhang; Daniel R Feikin; Grant A Mackenzie; Jennifer C Moiïsi; Anna Roca; Henry C Baggett; Syed Ma Zaman; Rosalyn J Singleton; Marilla G Lucero; Aruna Chandran; Angela Gentile; Cheryl Cohen; Anand Krishnan; Zulfiqar A Bhutta; Adriano Arguedas; Alexey Wilfrido Clara; Ana Lucia Andrade; Maurice Ope; Raúl Oscar Ruvinsky; María Hortal; John P McCracken; Shabir A Madhi; Nigel Bruce; Shamim A Qazi; Saul S Morris; Shams El Arifeen; Martin W Weber; J Anthony G Scott; W Abdullah Brooks; Robert F Breiman; Harry Campbell Journal: Lancet Date: 2013-01-29 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: A W Bill Musk; Alan L James; Lyle J Palmer; Gerard F Ryan; Fiona Lake; Clayton L Golledge; Nicholas H De Klerk Journal: Respirology Date: 2008-03 Impact factor: 6.424