Frequently asked questions
What do we know about services for Indigenous people?
| Please reference this document as: Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet (2003) Frequently asked questions: what do we know about services for Indigenous people? Retrieved [access date] http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/html/html_keyfacts/faq/faq_health_services/health_services.htm |
What do we know about services for Indigenous people?
What do Indigenous people say about their health and health services? (July 1998)
Of the 15,700 Indigenous participants in the 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey (NATSIS), 88% reported having excellent, very good, or good health [1].
The most commonly reported recent condition was respiratory illness, with 35% of respondents having this illness in the two weeks prior to the interview. Other commonly reported recent illnesses or conditions included circulatory diseases (males: 9.4%; females: 12.3%) and injuries ( males: 15.9%; females: 8.5%).
Reported long-term conditions included asthma (13.5%), ear or hearing problems (9.4%), high blood pressure (6.4%), skin problems (6.0%), chest problems 5.2%), heart problems (4.2%), diabetes (4.1%), kidney problems (3.1%) , and eye problems not correctable by glasses (2.4%).
Almost three-fifths (58%) of Indigenous people aged 13 years and older reported alcohol use as one of the main health problems in their local area. The next most frequently perceived health problems were drugs (30%), diabetes (22%), diet/nutrition (19%) and heart problems (14%).
Overall, 78% of Indigenous people aged 13 years or older reported that they were happy with their local health services, with 76% reporting having had no problems with their service. Almost 8% reported having to wait too long for treatment Over three-quarters (78%) of respondents felt that it was important for Indigenous people to be involved in their health services.
Reference
1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (1996) National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survey 1994: health of Indigenous Australians. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics.
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