Asthma in Australia 2008 Prevalence

Prevalence of current asthma, adults Australia, 1990–2007 Figure 3.1: Prevalence of current asthma, adults, 1990–2007 Note: SAMSS = South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System. Sources: State computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) surveys; Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health Surveys (NHSs).

Prevalence of current asthma, children Australia, 1982–2007 Figure 3.2: Prevalence of current asthma, children aged 15 years and under, 1982–2007 Notes: SAMSS = South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System, AHR = airway hyperresponsiveness. Sources: Comino et al. 1996; Downs et al. 2001; Peat et al. 1994; Toelle et al. 2004; Population Research and Outcome Studies Unit, South Australian Department of Human Services; WA Health and Wellbeing Surveillance System, Epidemiology Branch, Department of Health, Government of Western Australia.

Prevalence of ever asthma by age and sex Australia, 2004–05 Figure 3.3: Prevalence of ever having been diagnosed with asthma, by age and sex, 2004–05 Note: Age-standardised to the Australian population as at June 2001. Source: Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring (ACAM) analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey 2004–05 confidentialised unit record files.

Prevalence of current asthma by age and sex Australia, 2004–05 Figure 3.4: Prevalence of current asthma, by age and sex, 2004–05 Note: Age-standardised to the Australian population as at June 2001. The overall prevalence of current asthma among females was significantly higher than among males (p < 0.0001). Source: Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring (ACAM) analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey 2004–05 confidentialised unit record files.

Prevalence of current asthma in children by age and sex Australia, 2004–05 Figure 3.5: Prevalence of current asthma in children, by age and sex, 2004–05 Note: Age-standardised to the Australian population as at June 2001. Source: Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring (ACAM) analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey 2004–05 confidentialised unit record files.

Prevalence of current asthma by state/territory Australia, 2004–05 Figure 3.6: Prevalence of current asthma, by state and territory, all ages, 2004–05 Note: Age-standardised to the Australian population as at June 2001. The Northern Territory is excluded as the numbers are too small to produce reliable estimates, but it does contribute to the national estimate. Source: Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health Survey 2004–05 confidentialised unit record files.

Prevalence of current asthma by remoteness Australia, 2004–05 Figure 3.7: Prevalence of current asthma, by age and remoteness, 2004–05 Note: Age-standardised to the Australian population as at June 2001. ‘Other areas’ includes Outer Regional, Remote and Very Remote categories of remoteness. Source: Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring (ACAM) analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey 2004–05 confidentialised unit record files.

Prevalence of current asthma by country of birth Australia, 2004–05 Figure 3.8: Prevalence of current asthma, by age and country of birth, 2004–05 Notes: Age-standardised to the Australian population as at June 2001. English-speaking background includes anyone born in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, United States of America or South Africa. Non-English-speaking background includes all those born in other countries. See Appendix 1, Section A1.12.2 for further information on country of birth classifications. Source: Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring (ACAM) analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey 2004–05 confidentialised unit record files.

Prevalence of current asthma by country of birth and year of arrival in Australia Figure 3.9: Prevalence of current asthma by country of birth and year of arrival in Australia, 2004–05 Note: English-speaking background (ESB) includes anyone born in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, United States of America or South Africa. Non-English-speaking background (NESB) includes all those born in other countries. See Appendix 1, Section A1.12.2 for further information on country of birth classifications. Source: Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring (ACAM) analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey 2004–05 confidentialised unit record files.

Prevalence of current asthma by socioeconomic status Australia, 2004–05 Figure 3.10: Prevalence of current asthma by socioeconomic status, 2004–05 Notes: Age-standardised to the Australian population as at June 2001; SEIFA = Socio-economic Indexes for Areas. Source: Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring (ACAM) analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey 2004–05 confidentialised unit record files.

Severity of asthma among adults attending GPs Australia, 1999–2006 Figure 3.11: Distribution of severity of asthma among adults attending general practitioners, 1999 to 2006 Notes: In data point for 2003, moderate section also includes those whose asthma was classified as severe. In data point for 2000 the mild category also includes adults whose asthma was classified as being very mild. In data point for 1999, asthma severity classifications were not available for 4.2% of adults and, therefore, the data point does not add up to 100%. Source: AIHW: Britt & Miller 2007.

Severity of asthma among children attending GPs Australia, 1999–2006 Figure 3.12: Distribution of severity of asthma among children attending general practitioners, 1999 to 2006 Note: Blue section of 2003 column represents the proportion of children classified as having ‘persistent’ or ‘frequent episodic’ asthma. In data point for 1999, asthma severity classifications were not available for 5.6% of children and, therefore, the data point does not add up to 100%. Source: Supplementary Analysis of Nominated Data (SAND) abstracts (AIHW: Britt & Miller 2007).