3106.0 - Demography News, Mar 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 04/04/2002   
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REGIONAL VARIATION IN MORTALITY LEVELS IN NSW

Mortality rates for all deaths and from six specific causes of death vary across NSW, according to a special article published in Demography, NSW (Cat. No. 3311.1).

Although the Standardised Mortality Ratio (SMR) for all deaths in Sydney Statistical Division (97) was below the national level (100), mortality rates for Ischaemic heart diseases were significantly higher in the Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) of Parramatta (115), Blue Mountains (122), Liverpool (123) and Blacktown (132). The SMRs for Cerebrovascular diseases were significantly higher in the SLAs of Wyong (128), Strathfield (146), Marrickville (150) and Ashfield (186). The SMRs for diseases of the Respiratory systems were higher in Blacktown (132) and Marrickville (146) and the SMR for Self-harm was high in South Sydney (169).

Mortality from all causes of death was close the national level for Statistical Divisions located on the NSW coast. But, for specific causes of deaths, the SMRs for Ischaemic heart diseases were significantly higher than the national level (100) in Shellharbour SLA (130) and Cessnock SLA (135), while the SMR of Cerebrovascular diseases was significantly higher in Grafton SLA (169) and the Respiratory system was significantly higher in Kempsey SLA (175) .

In Statistical Divisions located in inland NSW, the mortality levels from all causes of deaths were all higher than the national level (100). The SMRs for Ischaemic heart diseases were significantly higher in the SLAs of Narrabri (154), Greater Lithgow (158), Cootamundra (159), Parkes (163) and Narromine (189). The SMRs for Cerebrovascular diseases were higher than the national level in Parkes SLA (211) and Greater Lithgow SLA (221) while mortality from diseases of the Respiratory system was high in Moree Plains SLA (257).

The SMRs are based on an average of three years of total death and cause of death data and were standardised to remove the effects of differences in the age structure among various Statistical Divisions and SLAs. The significance of the differences between the SMRs for SLAs and SDs and the national level were statistically tested.

For more information, contact Melissa Webb on (02) 9268 4744 or m.webb@abs.gov.au.