Study reveals health of local communities

A comprehensive study of the health status of Victorians reveals vast differences between local government areas and the first detailed picture of the ‘burden of disease’ across the state, says Health Minister John Thwaites.

Launching the Victorian Burden of Disease Study, Mr Thwaites said for the first time in the world information was available at a local government level on the health problems of communities.

‘The study, by the Department of Human Services, examines the 50 most important diseases and the prevalence of these in each of the 78 local government areas in Victoria,’ he said.

‘The study measures the size of the ‘burden of disease’ for each local government area in years of healthy life lost due to early death and years of illness.

‘It also provides details of the risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol use, physical inactivity, illicit drugs, unsafe sex and poor diet, which lead to the burden of disease in the State’s nine Regional areas.’

Mr Thwaites said the study found the eastern suburbs of Melbourne had the highest overall health status while a few inner city areas, the Grampians and the Latrobe Valley had a low health status.

‘The City of Manningham is ranked as being the healthiest municipality and has the lowest incidences of cancer and cardiovascular disease,’ he said.

‘The cities of Yarra and Port Phillip have the poorest overall health status while the City of Maribyrnong has the highest rate of cardiovascular disease and mental disorders.

‘The highest rate of injuries was found in the rural local government areas of Ararat, North Grampians and Pyrenees.’

Mr Thwaites said other key findings of the study include:

• The life expectancy of men is highest in the City of Manningham (78.6 years) while female life expectancy is highest in the City of Monash (83.3 years);

• The metropolitan Regions of Melbourne (Eastern, Southern, Northern and Western) are overall healthier than the rural regions (Barwon South-Western, Hume, Loddon-Mallee, Gippsland and Grampians);

• The largest risk factor causing disease in males is tobacco use, followed by physical inactivity, high blood pressure and alcohol harm. For women the major risk factors are physical inactivity, high blood pressure and then tobacco use;

• Alcohol harm, illicit drugs and unsafe sex are larger causes of disease for males in city areas than rural areas. For women the major risk factors (physical inactivity, high blood pressure and tobacco) cause slightly more disease in rural areas while illicit drugs and alcohol harm are more prominent in metropolitan areas;

• Tobacco related diseases such as lung cancer, mouth cancer and emphysema/chronic bronchitis are almost double in the cities of Yarra, Latrobe and Port Phillip than the least affected areas of Manningham, Stonnington and Boroondara;

• People in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne are 50 to 75 per cent less likely to suffer from poor nutrition, lack of exercise, obesity and high blood pressure than people living in the poorer Melbourne suburbs and many rural areas;

• The cities of Yarra, Port Phillip, Moonee Valley and Maribyrnong have three to four times higher health problems from illicit drugs than the least affected rural local government areas;

• Rural people are twice as likely to die or suffer injuries as a result of road accidents, suicide and drowning than city people.

Mr Thwaites said the study would enable State and local government and health services to better respond to health inequalities and set priorities for health services.

‘The detailed information provided in this study will be useful in planning and evaluating health services for local communities,’ he said.

‘The Government has already started developing local health plans for communities through its Primary Care Partnership Strategy. The findings of the study will be useful in ensuring the plans are not only cost-effective but meet the specific needs of the local community.

‘The study will also enable the Government to better target its health promotion activities such as the tough new tobacco control measures, the school nurse program and activities aimed at curbing unhealthy lifestyles such as not exercising and eating properly.’

Mr Thwaites said information contained in the Victorian Burden of Disease Study would be widely distributed for use by local government planners and health service providers.

‘A series of training workshops will be conducted across the state for key personnel involved in regional and local community-based health service planning and delivery,’ he said.

• The study is available on the internet at www.dhs.vic.gov.au/phd/lgabod/index.htm.