Summary

There are clear socioeconomic differentials in the health of young Australians aged 15-24 years according to a range of indicators of mortality, illness and accident rates and health service use. Disadvantaged young adults have worse health, whether the measures of disadvantage are based on family income, education, employment status, or socioeconomic disadvantage of area.

This report is the last in a series of four reports which systematically document health differentials in Australia using national population health and mortality data relating to the late 1980s. The first three, entitled Health Differentials among Adult Australians Aged 25-64 Years, Health Differentials among Older Australians and Health Differentials among Australian Children were published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 1994 and 1995.