Summary
The third report in any disease monitoring series creates the opportunity to provide unambiguous answers about the extent of the problem and the policy issues that can be addressed using the information generated. While asthma remains a large problem in Australia, and Australia remains a high prevalence country by international standards, the adoption of a rigorous approach to monitoring of asthma has allowed us to gain a clear understanding of the issues surrounding this disease.
The prevalence of asthma among children in Australia is now plateauing, if not declining. Asthma mortality in Australia is also lower than it was a few short years ago. There is now general acceptance of the overlapping nature of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in older people.
Having settled some of the epidemiological issues in asthma monitoring, this report focuses its attention on asthma in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. A special chapter deals with the extent of the problem in this most disadvantaged population group. Unfortunately, the picture for asthma is no different among Indigenous Australians than for other health issues.
Preliminary material (657KB PDF): Acknowledgments; Key points-Asthma in Australia 2008
Quality of life (1.2MB PDF)
Key points
Introduction
Impact of asthma on self-assessed health
Impact of asthma on the domains of HRQoL
Summary
Appendixes
Data sources, definitions and population groups (1.6MB PDF)
Statistical tables (1.1MB PDF)
Tobacco smoke and occupation as risk factors for asthma (1.2MB PDF)
Key points
Introduction
People with asthma who smoke
Passive smoke exposure in children with asthma
Occupational asthma
Summary
Management (2MB PDF)
Key points
Introduction
Written asthma action plans
Summary
Medications used to treat asthma
Summary
Use of health services (2.7MB PDF)
Key points
Introduction
General practice encounters for asthma
Summary
Hospitalisations and emergency department visits
Summary
Invasive mechanical ventilation
Summary
Health-care expenditure due to asthma
Summary
Mortality (1.4MB PDF)
Key points
Introduction
Time trends in asthma deaths
International comparisons
Population subgroups
Seasonal variation in mortality risk
Comorbidities in people who died from asthma
Asthma as an associated cause of death in deaths attributed to other causes
Summary
Prevalence (1.7MB PDF)
Key points
Introduction
Ever diagnosed with asthma
Current asthma
Time trends in current asthma
International comparisons
Population subgroups
Patterns of asthma in adults
Patterns of asthma in children
Sleep disturbance due to asthma
Comorbid conditions among people with asthma
Summary
Asthma in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (1.6MB PDF)
Key points
Introduction
Prevalence
Mortality
Use of health services
Management and care
Smoking
Self-assessed health status
Prevalence of comorbidities in the community
Conclusions and summary
Introduction (657KB PDF)
End matter: Abbreviations; Glossary; References; List of tables; List of figures
Combined PDF for Abbreviations, Glossary, References, List of tables and List of figures (1.5MB PDF)