Men living in rural Australia are more likely to experience
chronic health conditions than their urban counterparts, according
to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare (AIHW).
The report, A snapshot of men's health in regional and
remote Australia, shows that male death rates increased with
remoteness.
Cardiovascular diseases were responsible for nearly a third of
the elevated male death rates outside major cities.
Compared with major cities, death rates from diabetes were 1.3
as high for men in inner regional areas and 3.7 as high in very
remote areas.
'There is a strong relationship between poor health and social
and economic disadvantage', said Sally Bullock, from the AIHW's
Population Health Unit.
'Compared with urban areas, rural regions of Australia contain a
larger proportion of people from lower socioeconomic groups. This
fact, combined with the generally poorer health status of men
compared with women, highlights a potential double disadvantage for
men living in rural areas.'
The report also shows that men living outside major cities were
more likely to have health risk factors such as daily smoking and
risky or high risk alcohol use, than their counterparts in major
cities.
They were also more likely to have experienced a substance use
related mental disorder throughout their lifetime.
Male death rates due to injury and poisoning also increased with
remoteness.
'The rates of injury and poisoning for men living in very remote
areas were over three times as high as for men living in major
cities', Ms Bullock said.
'Similarly, men living outside major cities were almost 20% more
likely to report a recent injury than their urban
counterparts.'
'The poor level of health literacy among men in rural areas is
also a concern.'
The report shows that in 2006, men living in inner regional,
outer regional and remote areas were 22% less likely than men in
major cities to possess an adequate level of health literacy.
Wednesday 14 April 2010
Further information: Sally Bullock, AIHW, tel.
(02) 6244 1008, mob. 0407 915 851.
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. (02) 6244 1032.
A snapshot of men's health in regional and remote
Australia
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