Health in Hunter New England	Table of contents Chapter introduction On this page: Data table Commentary References Print version Downloadable files
	Summary

Hunter New England population

There were 814,146 people counted in Hunter New England Area on the 2001 Census night, excluding overseas visitors. This represents an increase of approximately 4.5% since 1996 and 6.8% since 1991. Approximately half the Hunter New England population is aged 35 years or more. Females slightly outnumber males.

Social determinants

In New South Wales, since 1985, total average weekly earnings have almost doubled, from $356 to $690. Over the same period, the consumer price index (CPI) has also almost doubled. Female average earnings are around two-thirds those of males. Unemployment has declined steadily in New South Wales since 1994, and is currently just over 6%. However, unemployment rates vary by area and age group. In rural areas, almost one in five young people aged 15-24 years is unemployed. New South Wales has one of the lowest school retention rates of any Australian state or territory (currently just over 67%).

The environment

Arboviruses are transmitted to humans through the bite of mosquitoes. Prevention depends on the reduction of exposure to mosquitos through environmental control and personal protection.

Only a small proportion of people with suspected food poisoning visit a medical practitioner and obtain laboratory confirmation of infection, which is then reported to Population Health Units. Authorities are reliant on the public for reporting food poisoning incidents for the investigation of possible food sources.

Whilst mean blood lead levels of Hunter New England children have dropped over the last decade, there are still preschool children living in North Lake Macquarie with blood lead levels above the Australian standard (10µg/dl).

Peaks in regional pollution index are attributed to seasonal bush fires. Alternative methods of transport to private vehicles will assist in reducing air pollution.

Health-related behaviours

Smoking caused more than 690 deaths and more than 7,000 hospitalisations 2003 in Hunter New England. There is a slightly higher rate of smoking for females than males. 49% of male smokers and 64% of female smokers say that they intend to quit within the next 6 months. 84% of Hunter New England households are smoke free.

Along with the rest of Australia, Hunter New England is facing an epidemic of obesity. 63% of males and 45% of females are overweight or obese, with Hunter New England males and females engaging in less physical activity than state average. Close to 50% of adults consumed the appropriate daily recommendation of fruit where are a small proportion (20%) consumed the daily recommendation of vegetables. This pattern of high fruit and low vegetable consumption was consistent in children.

Harmful use of alcohol contributed to approximately 193 deaths and more than 4,200 hospitalisations each year in the Hunter New England.

Burden of disease

The leading two causes of death for males and females were cardiovascular disease and cancer, followed by chronic respiratory disease for males and nervous system disorders for females.

The leading three causes of hospitalisation for males were factors influencing health, unintentional injuries and digestive system disorders. Whereas for females maternal conditions ranked higher than unintentional injuries.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples accounted for 28,877 (3.5%) of the 814,146 people in Hunter New England in 2001.

Indigenous people have higher hospitalisation rates than non-Aboriginal people for many health conditions.

Country of birth

About 7% of Hunter New England residents were born overseas. This small proportion means that many health trends are not clearly observed in overseas born Hunter New England residents. Overseas-born people generally have good health, but patterns of some health conditions and health risk factors vary with country of birth.

People born in the United Kingdom and New Zealand accounted for the largest proportion of overseas born people in Hunter New England

Socioeconomic status

As in other parts of New South Wales, rates of mortality, morbidity and health behaviours and risk factors vary according to socio-economic group. Rates of premature death have declined among all socio-economic groups over the past 20 years. Persons with low socio-economic status continue to experience relatively high rates of illness and death, especially males, and there is some evidence of an increasing "gap" between this lower group and the rest of the population as observed elsewhere across New South Wales. -->

The proportion of teenage mothers in the lowest socioeconomic group in 2003 was almost double that for the highest socioeconomic group

Cardiovascular disease

Coronary heart disease caused over 2,600 Hunter New England deaths in 2003. In that year, stroke caused over 650 deaths. Death rates from both coronary heart disease and stroke have more than halved since 1980 but coronary heart disease remains above the state average levels for both men and women.

In 2003/4 Coronary heart disease is responsible for nearly 8,000 hospitalisations, while stroke causes over 2,500 hospitalisations in Hunter New England. Nearly 800 coronary artery bypass graft procedures and 1200 coronary angioplasty procedures are performed each year. The hospitalisation rate for stroke is gradually declining. However, its contribution to the burden of disability will increase because the population is getting older, and survival after stroke is increasing.

Approximately 20% of residents report elevated blood cholesterol level, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The most commonly reported actions to try to reduce high cholesterol were diet, cholesterol lowering medication and exercise.

Diabetes

Around 6% of males and 7% of females aged 16 years or more reported diabetes and the real prevalence would be higher as it is often undiagnosed. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death among people with diabetes.

Hospitalisations due to diabetes have stayed constant over the past decade but have recently begun to increase.

Cancer

Cancer is the second most common cause (after cardiovascular diseases) of disease burden in Hunter New England. In 2000, there were around 13,000 hospitalisations and just over 1,800 deaths due to cancer in Hunter New England. Cancer cases were observed in all parts of the Hunter New England, and apart from a few local differences, the Area reflects similar cancer patterns to those observed across New South Wales.

Respiratory disease

Self-reported asthma appeared to be slightly higher in the Hunter New England than background NEW SOUTH WALES rates, affecting around 12% of adults and around 16% of children aged 2-12 years. Asthma is responsible for around 20 deaths in 2003 and over 6, 000 hospitalisations between 2001 and 2003.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, are responsible for close to 900 deaths and over 6,000 hospitalisations between 2001 and 2003. Smoking is the main risk factor for COPD.

Injury and poisoning

Injuries and poisoning caused over 1,000 deaths and close to 50,000 hospitalisations in Hunter New England over 2001 to 2003. Males have much higher rates of death and hospitalisation than females for all major injury causes, except for falls among older people and sports. Death rates for many injury causes are higher in Hunter New England than New South Wales average. Hospitalisation rates are similar to state average.

In recent years, hospitalisation rates for motor vehicle crash injuries have stabilised for both genders however the rate of motor vehicle injury is higher for males than females. Pedal cycle injuries are also showing a slight upward trend in Hunter New England males. Unintentional poisonings appear to be declining while no clear trend is evident for burns and scalds. There are over 5,000 hospitalisations in 2003/4 for fall-related injuries, and these cost the health system more than any other single injury cause. Falls related injuries in older Hunter New England residents are rising steadily. Many falls are preventable. There are around 1,700 hospitalisations for work-related injuries 2002/3 to 2003/4 and 1020 hospitalisations for sporting injuries 2001 to 2003.

Mental health

Psychological distress has a major effect on the ability of people to work, study and manage their day-to-day activities. In 2003, Hunter New England average of total disability days each month due to distress is 0.6.

Whilst suicide rates have fluctuated over the past decade, there are approximately 80 suicide deaths a year in Hunter New England, with young males the most likely to take their lives. In 2003/4, there were around 1540 hospitalisations for attempted suicide with young females the group most likely to be hospitalised. Rates of hospitalisation have started to decline in this group in the last few years.

Oral health

Overall, oral health in New South Wales is good by world standards. Around 30 per cent of Hunter New England adults over 16 years of age have no missing teeth.

Pregnancy and the newborn

There are around 6,500 births each year in the Hunter New England. The birth rate in New South Wales is declining and, on average, each woman in Hunter New England will have 1.6 babies in her lifetime. The teenage pregnancy rate is gradually declining.

Around 7.8% of babies are born prematurely, slightly higher than the New South Wales rate of 6.9%. The rate of perinatal deaths is around 11 per 1,000 births and remains slightly higher than the NEW SOUTH WALES average rate.

Child health

Around 16% of Hunter New England children report current asthma, with over 40% of these children having an asthma management plan.

15% of Hunter New England children have had a near drowning experience, with over half of these occurring in swimming pools.

Hunter New England children participate in a range of sporting activities including soccer, netball, swimming and bike riding. However many children also spend significant periods of time in sedentary activities such as watching television and videos, and dietary imbalances exist with many children eating less than the recommended daily intake of fresh vegetables. Reduced physical activity and diets high in refined carbohydrate and saturated fat can cause overweight and obesity, leading to a greater risk of chronic disease in adult life.

Levels of sun protection activity were generally high in Hunter New England children, although wearing hats and taking other protective measures against sun exposure dropped in older Hunter New England children.

Communicable diseases

Immunisation rates in Hunter New England are generally high, with rates in most areas above the New South Wales target of 94% of children aged 12 months being fully immunised. Immunisation preventative diseases remain at relatively low rates except for pertussis with over 100 notifications per year.

Hepatitis C remains the one of the most commonly reported communicable disease, with 492 cases notified in 2003, although some of these represent past infections that were only recently identified. Most new infections are acquired through sharing contaminated needles and syringes.

Chlamydia rates continue to rise at a rapid rate in the Hunter New England, which is reflective of the trend across New South Wales. Chlamydia may be symptomless for some persons and can result in female infertility. Syphilis and gonorrhoea rates have no clear trend but are below New South Wales average for the period 2001 to 2003.

Hunter New England residents have experienced a variety of foodborne disease occurrences including salmonella; however, hepatitis A cases have been low.

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