In SSROC region, the most common long-term health condition was mental health condition, while 26.1% of the population reported one or more health conditions, a lower rate than in Sutherland Shire (31.0%).
The 2021 Census looked for the first time at the level of incidence of selected long-term health conditions in the community. The Census question asked respondents if they have been diagnosed with a specific condition (or other condition) from a list of ten conditions plus "other". Combined, these ten conditions comprise approximately 60% of Australia's deaths, and even those which are not deadly contribute substantially to the burden of disease.
It is well known that socio-economic factors also contribute to morbidity and health outcomes, with lower-socio economic characteristics correlated with higher incidence of some health conditions. The inclusion of this topic in the Census enables these factors to be explored in more detail.
Also, in society, health conditions tend to increase with age. For these reasons, it is recommended that long-term health conditions data for be viewed at in conjunction with age structure, household income, educational qualifications, and need for assistance datasets, along with the SEIFA index of disadvantage.
Q:
Derived from the Census question:
'Has the person been told by a doctor or nurse that they have any of these long-term health conditions?'
Dominant groups
Analysis of the long term health conditions of SSROC region in 2021 compared to Sutherland Shire shows that there was a lower proportion of people with a long-term health condition 26.1% compared to 31.0% in Sutherland Shire.
The major differences in the long-term health conditions between SSROC region and Sutherland Shire are:
- A smaller percentage with Arthritis (6.1% compared to 8.7%)
- A smaller percentage with Asthma (6.2% compared to 7.5%)
- A smaller percentage with Heart disease (3.1% compared to 4.2%)
- A smaller percentage with Cancer (including remission) (2.4% compared to 3.3%)