You are here:

  • Print

released: 10 Dec 2004 author: AIHW media release

Disability experience is a complex interaction between the health condition and environmental and personal factors. People's health is increasingly conceptualised in terms of their quality of life, what activities they can do, in what areas of life they are able to participate as they wish, and what long-term supports they need for living in the community.This report examines some of the inter-relationships among components of disability, health conditions and other related factors, as well as some aspects of measurement. The report provides prevalence estimates of significant diseases and health conditions associated with disability and estimates the likelihood and severity of disability associated with those diseases and health conditions. It also presents results of analyses that explore the relationship between severity of disability, health conditions, and personal and environmental factors.

ISSN 1444-3589; ISBN 978 1 74024 435 0; Cat. no. DIS 37; 155pp.; OUT OF PRINT

Full publication

Publication table of contents

  • Preliminary material (188K PDF)
    • Title page and verso
    • Contents
    • List of tables
    • List of boxes
    • Forward
    • Acknowledgments
    • Abbreviations
    • Glossary
    • Overview of the report
  • Sections 1-3 (334.4K PDF)
    1. Introduction
      • 1.1 Why this report
      • 1.2 Background and broad approach
      • 1.3 Structure of the report
    2. Main data sources and definitions
      • 2.1 ABS 2001 National Health Survey
      • 2.2 The study of the burden of disease and injury in Australia
      • 2.3 The ABS 1998 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers
    3. Prevalence of disability and long-term health conditions
      • 3.1 Main data sources: some differences
      • 3.2 Prevalence estimates of long-term conditions - a comparison of three data sources
      • 3.3 Prevalence estimates of health conditions and impairments/limitations associated with disability
      • 3.4 Trends in the prevalence of disability and long-term conditions
  • Sections 4-6 (420.5K PDF)
    1. Severity of disability in relation to health conditions - measures on impairments/limitations and disabling conditions
      • 4.1 Measures and main data items
      • 4.2 Likelihood of 'disability' defined by the ABS disability survey screening questions
      • 4.3 Likelihood of being reported as main disabling condition
      • 4.4 Multiple associated conditions and co-morbidity
    2. Severity of disability in relation to health conditions - five measures on activities and participation
      • 5.1 Measures and main data items
      • 5.2 Likelihood of severe or profound core activity restrictions, with a given impairment or limitation
      • 5.3 Likelihood of severe or profound core activity restrictions, for selected health conditions
      • 5.4 Number of core activities in which help is needed, for selected health conditions
      • 5.5 Frequency of need for help with core activities, for selected health conditions
      • 5.6 Level of participation restrictions in employment
    3. Disability, health conditions and other factors - multivariate analyses
      • 6.1 Introduction
      • 6.2 Statistical analysis
      • 6.3 Factors associated with severe or profound core activity restriction (model A)
      • 6.4 Factors associated with frequency of help needed in the three core activities for those who have disabilities (model B)
      • 6.5 Factors associated with amount of assistance received from carers (model C)
      • 6.6 Discussion
    4. Summary and conclusion (169K PDF)
      • 7.1 Estimating the prevalence of health conditions related to disability
      • 7.2 Disability and related health conditions
      • 7.3 Alternative measures of severity
      • 7.4 Disability, health conditions and other factors: multivariate analyses
      • 7.5 Contrasting disability-focused and health-focused analyses
      • 7.6 Environmental factors
      • 7.7 Conclusion
  • End matter
    • Appendixes (223.5K PDF)
      • Appendix 1 Grouping of disabling conditions
      • Appendix 2 Tables
    • References (90K PDF)

Recommended citation

AIHW 2004. Disability and its relationship to health conditions and other factors. Disability series. Cat. no. DIS 37. Canberra: AIHW.