Around 35% of Australians who reported having diabetes in 2001
were born overseas, according to a bulletin released today by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Approximately 28% of the Australian population is
overseas-born.
The AIHW bulletin, A Picture of Diabetes in Overseas-born
Australians, shows that the overseas-born Australians at
highest risk of diabetes are those born in the South Pacific,
Middle East/North Africa, Southern Asia and Southern Europe.
According to the latest available data, the South Pacific
Islander group had the highest hospitalisation and death rates for
diabetes, at well over twice the rates for people born in
Australia. People born in the Middle East and North Africa were the
next highest group.
Diabetes prevalence rates were correspondingly high for the
Middle Eastern /North African group. Men born in the Middle East
and North Africa had a diabetes prevalence rate 3.6 times that of
Australian-born men. The corresponding ratio for women was 2.4.
Report co-author, Anne-Marie Waters, said the overall findings
revealed some surprises.
'Proportionally more overseas-born people have diabetes, yet
other research conducted by the Institute has shown that immigrants
tend to live healthier lives than their Australian-born
counterparts, reflecting the "healthy migrant effect"-where people
in good health are more likely to migrate than others. This is
further reinforced by Australia's health requirements for
migrants.'
'The fact that some groups of overseas-born Australians appear
to be at a higher risk of diabetes than other people within the
community might be explained by a combination of biological and
genetic risk factors, changing lifestyle after migration, or
socioeconomic status.'
The bulletin shows that prevalence, hospitalisation and death
rates are not always consistent across all groups of overseas-born
Australians.
'Men born in the UK and Ireland, for example, had diabetes
prevalence rates at least 17% higher than Australian-born men-but
had 21% fewer hospitalisations, and 13% fewer deaths from the
disease than Australian-born men', Ms Waters said.
'In contrast, men born in Southern and Eastern Europe, and
Central Asia, had lower diabetes prevalence rates than
Australian-born men, but higher hospitalisation and death
rates.'
23 October 2003
Further information: Anne-Marie Waters, AIHW,
tel. 02 6244 1102
Lynelle Moon, AIHW, tel. 02 6244 1235
George Phillips, AIHW, tel. 02 6244 1246
Media copies of the report: Publications Officer,
AIHW, tel. 02 6244 1032
Availability: Check the AIHW
Publications Catalogue for details.