Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are hospitalised
due to injury at three times the rate of their non-Indigenous
counterparts, according to a report released today by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
The report, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Injury-Related Hospitalisations 1991-92 is the first of its
kind on Indigenous injury statistics.
Author of the report, Mr Jerry Moller, said the results 'should
be treated with caution' owing to difficulties with the data, but
despite these limitations it was obvious that injury is 'an
important public health issue for Indigenous peoples'.
Major findings of the report include:
- If Indigenous peoples were to experience the same rate of
injury as their non- Indigenous counterparts, the number of
Indigenous hospitalisations in Australia could be expected to fall
by more than 60% or 7,000 each year.
- Males accounted for 57% of hospitalisations among Indigenous
peoples; they suffered higher rates of hospitalisation than females
for all causes of injury except drowning and submersion,
unintentional poisoning by pharmaceuticals, and self-harm.
- The most common specifically identified causes of injury for
which Indigenous peoples were hospitalised were transport-related
injuries, interpersonal violence, and accidental falls.
- The overall rates of interpersonal violence injury-related
hospitalisation are similar for males (1,433 per 100,000) and
females (1,353 per 100,000).
- Injuries from fire flames and scalds, unintentional poisoning
with pharmaceuticals and self-harm were less common but still occur
more frequently among Indigenous peoples than non-Indigenous
peoples.
Mr Moller said that to better understand the injury burden of
Indigenous peoples, we need to identify Indigenous people more
accurately, use culturally appropriate classifications, and obtain
better data on Indigenous populations. In the short term though, he
noted that 'existing data can be used to start setting prevention
priorities until more accurate data are available'.
8 January 1996
Further information: Mr Jerry Moller, National
Injury Surveillance Unit, ph. 08 8374 0970.
For media copies of this report (53pp.): Amanda
Nobbs, ph. 02 6244 1028. A summary bulletin is also
available.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications Catalogue
for details.