Morbidity and multi-morbidity in Australia: evidence from the National Health Surveys.

Abstract

"This paper examines the prevalence of reported morbidity in Australia during the two time periods 1977-78 and 1989-90. It utilizes data from the National Health Surveys conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in the respective years.... The study found that the prevalence of morbidity increased in Australia between the survey years, which occurred, as in some other low-mortality countries, along with mortality reduction over this period. Females reported higher morbidity than males but the sex differential narrowed over time. The Aboriginal population had lower morbidity than the total population of Australia but the difference was not statistically significant.... Capital city dwellers in the states had higher prevalence of morbidity than non-capital city dwellers."