Australia Yearbook - 2001

Chapter 9—Health 349
9.27 LEADING 10 CAUSES OF BURDEN OF
DISEASE AND INJURY, Percentage of Total
Disability-adjusted Life Years—1996
Leading causes of Burden
% of total
Males
Ischaemic heart disease 13.6
Stroke 4.8
Lung cancer 4.5
COPD(a) 4.2
Suicide 3.3
Road traffic accidents 3.0
Diabetes mellitus(b) 3.0
Depression 2.7
Colorectal cancer 2.7
Dementia 2.5
Females
Ischaemic heart disease 11.1
Stroke 6.1
Depression 4.8
Dementia 4.7
Breast cancer 4.6
COPD(a) 3.2
Asthma 3.1
Diabetes mellitus(b) 3.0
Osteoarthritis 2.9
Colorectal cancer 2.7
Persons
Ischaemic heart disease 12.4
Stroke 5.4
COPD(a) 3.7
Depression 3.7
Lung cancer 3.6
Dementia 3.5
Diabetes mellitus(b) 3.0
Colorectal cancer 2.7
Asthma 2.6
Osteoarthritis 2.2
(a) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (chronic
bronchitis and emphysema). (b) Includes type 1 and type 2
diabetes.
Source: Mathers C.D., Vos E.T., Stevenson C.E. & Begg
S.J., “The Australian Burden of Disease Study: measuring
the loss of health from diseases, injuries and risk factors”,
The Medical Journal of Australia, Vol. 172, 19 June 2000.
However, the proportion of the population who
had ever smoked regularly was quite different
for men and women. This is largely an outcome
of historical differences in smoking prevalence
between the sexes. Around half of 25–34 year
old males and females had smoked regularly at
some stage in their lives. This reflects that in
recent years the gap between smoking rates for
men and women has been relatively small.
However, this gap has been much greater
historically, and so 72% of 65–74 year old males
had ever smoked (the highest proportion of any
age group), compared to only 39% of 65–74
year old women (graph 9.29). In older age
groups, the proportion of men and women who
had ever smoked decreases. This is likely to be
a reflection of greater survival into older age
groups by those who had never smoked, rather
than historical patterns of smoking prevalence.
Physical inactivity
In 1995, 30% of Australians aged 15 years and
over did no exercise for sport, recreation or
fitness in a designated two-week period.
The proportion of people who did no exercise
increased slightly with age, from 26% of
18–24 year olds to 34% by 65–74, and 44% of
people aged 75 years or more (graph 9.30).
There was very little difference between males
and females.
The intensity of exercise decreased more
sharply with age, and there was a greater sex
difference, with males more likely to engage in
vigorous exercise than females. The duration of
exercise, however, had a different age pattern,
with the most exercise being undertaken by
people aged 15–24 and 65–74, outside the
prime working ages. Men, on average, spent
more time exercising than women did.
9.28 BURDEN OF DISEASE ATTRIBUTABLE TO
10 MAJOR RISK FACTORS—1996
% of total disability-adjusted life
years (DALYs)
Risk Factor Males Females Persons
Tobacco 12.1 6.8 9.7
Physical inactivity 6.0 7.5 6.7
High blood pressure 5.1 5.8 5.4
Alcohol harm 6.6 3.1 4.9
Alcohol benefit –2.4 –3.2 –2.8
Obesity 4.3 4.3 4.3
Lack of fruit and
vegetables 3.0 2.4 2.7
High blood
cholesterol level 3.2 1.9 2.6
Illicit drugs 2.2 1.3 1.8
Occupation 2.4 1.0 1.7
Unsafe Sex 1.1 0.7 0.9
Source: Mathers C.D., Vos E.T., Stevenson C.E. & Begg
S.J., “The Australian Burden of Disease Study: measuring
the loss of health from diseases, injuries and risk
factors”, The Medical Journal of Australia, Vol. 172, 19
June 2000.