It is widely accepted that health risk factors are strongly associated with socioeconomic status (AIHW 2004b). The 2002 NATSISS showed that in general, high rates of both behavioural and environmental risk factors were reported among Indigenous people aged 15 years or over who had low levels of educational attainment, who were unemployed or who had below-average incomes (table 8.1). For example, unemployed people were more likely than employed people to smoke on a daily basis, to have used illicit substances in the last 12 months, to be physically inactive, to have experienced at least one stressor in the last 12 months, to have been a victim of physical or threatened violence and to have been removed from their natural family.
8.1 Health risk factors, by selected socioeconomic variables - Indigenous persons aged 15 years or over - 2002 |
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| | | Highest year of school completed(a) | Labour force status(b) | Equivalised gross household income(c) | | |
| | | Completed Year 9 or below(d) | Completed Year 10 or above | Total unemployed | Total employed | 2nd or 3rd decile | 4th decile or over | Indigenous persons aged 15 years or over | |
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Health risk factors | | | | | | | | | |
| Current daily smoker | % | 55.5 | 48.2 | 63.0 | 43.4 | 53.1 | 39.0 | 48.6 | |
| Risky/high risk alcohol consumption(e) | % | (f)17.4 | (f)15.2 | (f)17.3 | (f)16.9 | (f)13.8 | (f)14.6 | 15.1 | |
| Used substances(e)(g) | % | (f)22.4 | (f)25.2 | 34.3 | 21.4 | (f)25.2 | (f)20.9 | 23.5 | |
| Did not participate in sport/physical activity(e) | % | 66.7 | 44.5 | 46.2 | 39.8 | 57.7 | 40.6 | 50.7 | |
| Experienced at least one stressor(e) | % | (f)82.3 | (f)83.2 | 89.2 | 80.4 | 84.0 | 79.3 | 82.3 | |
| Victim of physical or threatened violence(e) | % | 21.6 | 26.1 | 37.9 | 20.6 | 26.5 | 19.1 | 24.3 | |
| Has been removed from natural family | % | 11.2 | 6.6 | 13.3 | 6.0 | (f)8.7 | (f)6.7 | 8.4 | |
Indigenous persons aged 15 years or over | no. | 108 100 | 154 900 | 130 400 | 38 800 | 88 600 | 96 100 | 282 200 | |
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(a) Excludes persons still at secondary school. |
(b) Excludes persons not in the labour force. |
(c) See the Glossary for more information on equivalised gross household income. |
(d) Includes persons who never attended school. |
(e) In the last 12 months. |
(f) Differences are not statistically significant. |
(g) Persons in non-remote areas only. |
ABS, 2002 NATSISS |