Trend indicator key: 
Favourable
Unfavourable
No change
No trend data
No data
Type 2 diabetes
There is no clear trend for this indicator Diabetes is a chronic condition marked by high levels of glucose in the blood. It is caused either by the inability to produce insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood glucose levels), or by the body not being able to use insulin effectively, or both.
Type 2 diabetes—which accounts for 85–90% of all diabetes cases—is linked with lifestyle factors such as obesity, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet. The latest estimates based on measured data suggest that 7% of Australians aged 25 and over had Type 2 diabetes in 1999–2000.
Trends based on self-reported data show that the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes more than doubled between 1989–90 and 2007–08.
Psychological distress in adults
There is no change for this indicator
- (proportion of adults with a Kessler 10 (K10) score greater than or equal to 22)
Psychological distress can have a major effect on people’s ability to work, study and manage their daily activities. Research shows that there is also a strong association between psychological distress and anxiety and affective disorders.
The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) is a measure of psychological distress. A low K10 score is 10–15; a moderate score is 16–21; a high score is 22–29; and a very high score is 30–50.
In 2007–08, 12% of Australian adults had a K10 score of 22 or more, which indicates high or very high levels of psychological distress. Females across all age groups were more likely than males to report high or very high levels of psychological distress. There was no change in the overall proportion experiencing distress from 2001 to 2007–08.
Depression in adults
There is no clear trend for this indicator
Depression and its related problems (for example, disturbed sleep and loss of interest in activities) can be long-lasting, and may make it very difficult for a person to take care of their everyday responsibilities.
In 2007, 13% of adults had experienced depression at least once in their lifetime, and 7% reported that they had experienced symptoms of depression in the previous 12 months. Depression was more common among females than males at all ages.
Potentially preventable cancers
There is no clear trend for this indicator
Many cancers are potentially avoidable if people take preventive action. Key ‘preventable’ cancers include cancer of the stomach, bowel, lung, kidney, cervix and liver, and melanoma of the skin.
Over the last 10 years, the incidence of stomach, bowel, lung and cervical cancers have decreased, while kidney and liver cancers and melanoma of the skin have increased. Despite this, the combined incidence rate of these cancers is not increasing.
In 2006, there were 192.3 new cancers diagnosed per 100,000 people. This rate has remained relatively stable since 1996.
Prostate cancer
There is an unfavourable trend for this indicator Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and the second most common cause of death from cancer (after lung cancer).
In 2006, there were 17,444 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed. The incidence rate of prostate cancer has fluctuated considerably in the last few decades, increasing dramatically in the early 1990s due to the introduction of Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. This increase reflected the large number of undiagnosed cases that were identified using the PSA test and subsequently biopsied and confirmed by a specialist. Rates decreased after that and were stable for several years before starting to rise again from 2002.
Although the PSA test allows early detection there is some debate about whether it is helpful overall. Many prostate cancers grow very slowly and would not necessarily affect a man’s health before he died of other causes, whereas the treatment of prostate cancer may have potential permanent negative consequences such as sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence.
Breast cancer
There is no change for this indicator
Breast cancer is a major health issue that mainly affects women and the likelihood of being diagnosed with breast cancer increases with age. In 2006, rates were highest among women aged 60–64.
Most women diagnosed with breast cancer undergo extensive treatment which can include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, and treatment. The after effects of treatment can continue for many years after initial diagnosis.
The incidence of breast cancer is fairly stable; with 121.1 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed per 100,000 women in 2006 (this rate fluctuated between 111.2 and 117.3 over the previous decade).
Dementia
There is no clear trend for this indicator
Dementia is the name given to a wide range of conditions that cause a progressive decline in a person’s brain function, including language, memory, perception, personality and cognitive skills. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer disease.
Information about how many Australians have dementia is sparse, but it is estimated that there were almost 175,000 people with dementia in 2003. Dementia is strongly age-related with 6.5% of the population aged 65 and older having the condition in 2003. As the population ages in the coming decades, the number of people with dementia is projected to increase.
Oral health
There is no clear trend for this indicator
Having good oral health means being able to eat, speak and socialise without discomfort or embarrassment. Good oral health is an integral part of good general health and wellbeing. Factors that contribute to oral health include diet, whether people smoke or not, and access to fluoridated water.
For good oral function, having at least 21 natural teeth is considered adequate. Among people aged 15 and over who have at least one natural tooth, it is estimated that 11.4% have fewer than 21 natural teeth. The proportion of people whose wellbeing is compromised because of insufficient teeth increases with age, from almost non-existent in those aged 15–34 to over half of those aged 75 and over.
Arthritis
There is no change in the trend for this indicator
Arthritis is one of the most common long-term conditions with an estimated 15% of the Australian population (over 3 million people) suffering from arthritis in 2007–08.
Arthritis contributes substantially to disability, with 14% of people with a disability in 2003 citing arthritis as their main disabling condition.
The rate of arthritis across the population has remained relatively stable since 2001 although the estimated number of people with arthritis has increased in line with population growth. The number of people with arthritis is expected to increase further as the population ages.
Severe osteoporosis
There is a favourable trend for this indicator
- (estimated incidence of osteoporotic hip fractures among people aged 40 and over)
Hip fractures occur more commonly in people who have osteoporosis. Because their bones are more fragile they may fracture more easily and from only a small amount of force.
Osteoporotic hip fractures are used as a good indicator of how many people suffer from severe osteoporosis.
The rate of hip fractures increases with age, and the incidence is much higher among females than males. Almost three-quarters of all hip fractures occur in women over 40.
The estimated incidence of osteoporotic hip fractures among people aged 40 and over has fallen from 204 per 100,000 people (in 1997–98) to 164 (in 2006–07), so the trend for osteoporosis is favourable.
End-stage kidney disease (ESKD)
There is no clear trend for this indicator
People with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) require dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive. Both these treatments are very expensive and require intensive health services.
Incidence rates for end-stage kidney disease remained relatively stable between 2003 and 2006, with males consistently having a higher incidence of the disease than females. In 2006, the incidence of the disease was 22.6 cases per 100,000 people.
Indigenous people are much more likely to suffer from end-stage kidney disease. In 2003–06, 114.4 Indigenous people per 100,000 had the disease, compared with 18.0 for non-Indigenous people.
Mental health
There is no clear trend for this indicator
- (proportion of young people who experience mood problems, including depression)
Mental health problems in young people can lead to a poorer quality of life, physical health problems and other mental disorders. Depression is often cited as the most common mental health problem in young people, with between 2% and 5% of young people experiencing depression sufficient to warrant treatment at some point in time. The 2007–08 ABS National Health Survey showed that 3.5% of young people aged between 12–17 experienced mood problems, including depression.