Death rates from diabetes-related causes increase dramatically
with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage and distance from major
cities, and men are more likely than women to die from diabetes or
related causes, says a new report released today by the Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The new report, Diabetes-related deaths in Australia
2001-2003, uses death certificate data to analyse mortality
rates from diabetes in Australia.
Over the period 2001-2003 there were nearly 21,000
diabetes-related deaths registered for people aged 25 years and
over in Australia, representing 5.4% of registered deaths in that
period. Diabetes was recorded as the primary or underlying cause of
death in nearly 9,800 of those cases.
Author Kathryn Webbie said the study defined 'diabetes-related
deaths' as deaths in which diabetes was either the underlying
(primary) cause or an associated (contributory) cause, when the
reason of death was a commonly recognised complication of
diabetes.
The average annual diabetes-related death rate for people aged
25 years or over was around 68 deaths per 100,000 people for men,
and about 41 per 100,000 for women. The difference was due to much
higher death rates for men in the younger age groups up to 75 years
of age.
The report also found that socioeconomic status and geography
play key roles in diabetes mortality.
Death rates from diabetes-related causes increase dramatically
with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage.
'This reflects a higher prevalence of diabetes and related
diseases, particularly diseases of the circulatory system, in the
more socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.
'We also know that the prevalence of related risk factors, such
as smoking, being obese and having lower levels of physical
activity tends to be higher among people living in the most
disadvantaged areas of Australia,' Ms Webbie said.
The rate of diabetes-related deaths was also found to be
markedly higher in remote areas than in major cities and inner
regional areas.
'One factor that contributes to regional differences in death
rates from diabetes is the higher proportion of Indigenous
Australians living in remote areas.
'We found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were
more likely than other Australians to die as a result of their
diabetes or from other conditions, such as heart attack, stroke or
kidney disease, where diabetes is known to be a contributing
factor,' she said.
13 December 2005
Further information: Kathryn Webbie AIHW, tel
02 6244 1049, or 0407 915 851, or Anne-Marie Waters AIHW, tel 02
9382 1049.
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of Diabetes-related deaths in
Australia 2001-2003.