Diabetes in overseas-born Australians
The NSW Department of Health says a quarter of our population speaks a language other than English at home. The two largest groups, Chinese and Arabic speakers, represent 5.6 per cent making up almost 350,000 people.
People who reported speaking Chinese at home make up 3.2 per cent, representing more than 200,000. This is an increase of one third between 1996 and 2001. The Arabic community makes up 2.3 per cent, representing almost 146,000 people, an increase of 20,000 between 1996 and 2001.
As further evidence of the need to cater for non-English speaking Australians, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) latest bulletin, ‘A Picture of Diabetes in Overseas-born Australians’ reports that proportionally more overseas born people, (35 per cent), report having diabetes. Among the groups with the highest prevalence of diabetes are Asian-born people, which include Chinese. People born in the Middle East also report high prevalence of diabetes, rate of hospitalisation and death.
In particular, men had a diabetes prevalence rate 3.6 times that of Australian-born men while the corresponding ratio for women is 2.4 times that of Australian-born women.
After those born in the Pacific Islands, Middle Eastern born people had the second highest rate of hospitalisation and mortality.
The AIHW bulletin also reveals that reported prevalence of diabetes is higher among those who arrived in Australia before 1991. Explaining why some groups appear to suffer disproportionably from diabetes compared to Australian-born people, the AIHW report lists environmental and genetic risk factors, changing lifestyle after migration, obesity, physical inactivity and socioeconomic status, as possible reasons.
Further information
The Facts Sheets and Pre-diabetes cards are free and available through Australian Diabetes Council on 1300 342 238 and relevant Diabetes Centres.