4725.0 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing: A focus on children and youth, Apr 2011
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 23/05/2012 Reissue
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HEALTH: YOUNG PEOPLE'S ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES This article is part of a comprehensive series released as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing: A focus on children and youth. Note: In this section, the terms 'young people' or 'youth' refer to people aged 15–24 years. Data presented are from the ABS National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2008 (cat. no. 4714.0).
There is evidence that some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are not receiving health services when they need them or are accessing them late through hospitals and emergency departments (Endnote 1). In 2008, around one in five (19% or 19,700) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people reported problems accessing one or more health services. The services that young people most commonly had problems accessing were:
Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people who had experienced access difficulties in 2008:
Young people in non-remote areas were more likely than those in remote areas to report that waiting times were too long or a service was not available when needed (48% compared with 28%), and/or that the cost of the service was a barrier (43% compared with 14%). In contrast, young people in remote areas were more likely than those in non-remote areas to report insufficient services (50% compared with 32%) and/or no services (50% compared with 23%) in their local area. 4.1 BARRIERS TO ACCESSING HEALTH SERVICES BY REMOTENESS, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth aged 15–24 years—2008 (a) Difference between non-remote and remote areas is statistically significant. (b) Difference between non-remote and remote areas is not statistically significant. Source: 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey ENDNOTES 1. Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council, 2008, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health performance Framework 2008, AHMAC, Canberra. <www.health.gov.au>
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