What factors drive the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal diabetes rates and related health outcomes in NSW? Pilot study
Key Objectives
To investigate the risk factors for diabetes and associated complications within the Aboriginal population of NSW. To inform policy and practice regarding appropriate resource allocation to help reduce diabetes rates for Aboriginal people
Diabetes mellitus is a National Health Priority Area which affects all Australians but is of particular significance to Aboriginal people. Diabetes and its complications impact on quality of life and contribute to early death. Aboriginal people in NSW are three times as likely as non-Aboriginal people to be diabetic. By determining the key drivers of the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal diabetes rates, the research results will assist health service providers and policy makers to better direct resources towards appropriate interventions to prevent and manage diabetes in Aboriginal communities in NSW. This will be a significant contribution to policies and strategies aimed at ‘closing the gap’.
This study uses use National Health Survey and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey data to estimate differences in diabetes rates and risk factors between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in NSW. This will be followed by an econometric analysis of the risk factors for diabetes, to determine which factors have the largest impact on diabetes in the Aboriginal population. Together the two parts will provide evidence of the key drivers of the diabetes gap. This evidence will help to inform policy makers of how to better direct resources towards appropriate interventions to reduce Aboriginal diabetes rates.
The pilot study will provide the foundation for a broader study using 45 and up study data with linkage to Hospital Admissions, MBS and PBS data. This planned study will investigate differences in utilisation of health services (including uptake of MBS items such as an annual cycle of care and HbAIc testing) for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people with diabetes and the impact on diabetes complications. The results from the broader study will indicate where resources should be allocated to improve diabetes management and reduce diabetes related health complications for Aboriginal people with diabetes.
Funding source
UTS Faculty of Business Grant
CHERE staff
Rebecca Reeve, Jody Church, Marion Haas, Rosalie Viney
Aboriginal Reference Group
Wylie Bradford1, Debra Fernando2, Jenny Hunt3
1. Macquarie University
2. Sax Institute
3. Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AH&MRC)
