Diabetes impacts

Diabetes-related death rates are steadily decreasing

In 2007, nearly 7,500 Australians died from diabetes and causes related to diabetes. This is 5.4% of all deaths in that year.

Between 1997 and 2007, deaths from diabetes-related causes dropped by 16%, from 39 to 32 deaths per 100,000 population, taking into account differences in age structure over time (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Diabetes-related deaths, 1997–2007

Notes
1. Directly age-standardised to the 2001 Australian population.
2. Refer to Table 1 for coding details for diabetes deaths and diabetes-related deaths.
3. 2007 Cause of Death data are not complete.

Source: AIHW National Mortality Database. Table 2

For more information see Diabetes indicators in Australia.

More than half of people with diabetes also had a disability

In 2003, 56% of people with diabetes had a disability.

Of people with diabetes and a disability, 2 out of 5 had a profound or severe core activity limitation, indicating that they were unable to do, or always/sometimes needed help with, functions such as self-care, mobility and communication.

In 2003, almost one quarter of people with diabetes and a disability reported that diabetes was the main condition causing their disability.

For more information, see Australia’s Health 2010.

People with diabetes are more likely to have psychological distress than those without diabetes

Adults with diabetes had a significantly higher prevalence of medium, high or very high psychological distress than those without diabetes (43.4% and 32.2% respectively), after adjusting for age differences in the groups, based on the 2007–08 National Health Survey (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Age-standardised prevalence of medium, high and very high psychological distress among people aged 18 years and over, by diabetes status and sex, 2007–08

Source: AIHW analysis of ABS 2007–08 National Health Survey Confidentialised Unit Record File. Table 3

For more information see Diabetes and poor mental health and wellbeing: an exploratory analysis.

Diabetes expenditure accounted for 2% of total disease expenditure

In 2004–05, almost $990 million was spent on diabetes. Of this, 38% was on hospital admitted patients, 29% on out-of-hospital medical services, 28% on prescription pharmaceuticals and 6% on research. This does not account for out of pocket expenses or NDSS subsidies.

(a) Includes admitted patients in public and private acute hospitals, and psychiatric hospitals. Also includes medical services provided to private admitted patients in hospital.
(b) Includes all pharmaceuticals for which a prescription is needed, including benefit-paid prescriptions, private prescriptions and below-copayment prescriptions.
(c) Excludes over-the-counter medications such as vitamins and minerals, patient medicines, first aid and wound care products, analgesics, feminine hygiene products, cold sore preparations, and a number of complementary health products that are sold in both pharmacies and other retail outlets.

Source: AIHW disease expenditure database.

For more information, see Australia’s Health 2010

Further information

AIHW 2012. Diabetes indicators in Australia

AIHW 2011. Diabetes and poor mental health and wellbeing: an exploratory analysis

AIHW 2010. Australia’s Health 2010

Source data

Notes
1. Directly age-standardised to the 2001 Australian population.
2. Refer to Table 1 for coding details for diabetes deaths and diabetes-related deaths.
3. 2007 Cause of Death data are not complete.

Source: AIHW National Mortality Database.

Source: AIHW analysis of ABS 2007–08 National Health Survey Confidentialised Unit Record File.