Health in Hunter New England	e-Resource home page Table of contents Chapter introduction On this page: Commentary References Print version
	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Introduction

In this section

Introduction

HNE Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community location map
• Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander community location map
Demography

• New South Wales
• 2001 population distribution by Indigenous status and Area Health Service
• 2005 estimated total residential Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population by Area Health Service (table)
• 2005 Indigenous and non-Indigenous population distribution by sex and age group

• Hunter New England
• 2005 estimated total residential Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population by cluster (table)
• 2001 population distribution by Indigenous status and cluster (graph)
• 2005 Estimated total residential Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population and projected population for 2009 by age and sex (numbers)
• Greater Newcastle
• Lower Hunter
• Lower Mid North Coast
• McIntyre
• Mehi
• Peel
• Tablelands
• Upper Hunter
• 2005 Estimated total residential Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population distribution by Indigenous status, age and sex (percentage)
• Greater Newcastle
• Lower Hunter
• Lower Mid North Coast
• McIntyre
• Mehi
• Peel
• Tablelands
• Upper Hunter

Pregnancy and the newborn
• Prematurity and low birthweight
• Perinatal mortality
• Teenage pregnancy
• Aboriginal births
• Maternal smoking trend
• Maternal smoking by cluster


Health priority areas
• Diabetes mellitus
• Cardiovascular disease hospitalisations
• Injury and poisoning
• Diseases of the respiratory system

Introduction

The relatively poor health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has been well documented across Australia (AIHW 2006).

Indigenous status is substantially under-reported in death and hospital morbidity data in New South Wales, making interpretation of these data difficult.

In 1996-97, a change in coding practice for Indigenous status in NSW hospital morbidity data resulted in a disproportionately large number of hospital separations being attributed to Indigenous people.

Even data about the number of Indigenous people in the population (which are used to calculate rates) must be treated with caution. Estimates of the Indigenous population have risen markedly in successive Censi, with increasing participation by Indigenous people, and increasing willingness to self-identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. Estimates of the prevalence of health conditions and behaviours among Aboriginal people derived from the available sources of health survey data vary quite markedly. This reflects differences in sampling methods, modes of administration, and in the increasing propensity of Aboriginal people to self-identify and to participate in surveys.

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