Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disability prevalence: making sense of multiple estimates and definitions
Abstract Objective: To analyse the multiple sources of statistics on prevalence of disability among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) people in Australia to provide reliable headline estimates. Methods: Survey documentation and statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (AB...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12838 |
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doaj-cece41f83e7341d898fc46fd2e2031c02020-11-25T00:11:18ZengWileyAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health1326-02001753-64052018-12-0142656256610.1111/1753-6405.12838Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disability prevalence: making sense of multiple estimates and definitionsClare Coleman0Nicola Wing Young Man1John Gilroy2Richard Madden3Sydney Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics, University of Sydney, New South WalesSydney Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics, University of Sydney, New South WalesFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, New South WalesSydney Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics, University of Sydney, New South WalesAbstract Objective: To analyse the multiple sources of statistics on prevalence of disability among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) people in Australia to provide reliable headline estimates. Methods: Survey documentation and statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) were collated and comparatively analysed. Results: Two separate concepts are defined by the ABS: ‘Disability’ and ‘Disability and restrictive health conditions’. The former is used in the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), the recommended source of disability prevalence estimates. The second is used in surveys to compare people with disability to those without. The 2014–15 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey (NATSISS) used a mix of these definitions, which led to differing prevalence estimates from SDAC estimates. Further, there is confusion in the NATSISS results, with ‘disability’ frequently replacing ‘disability and restrictive health condition’. Discussion: The SDAC should be used for prevalence statistics on disability in the Indigenous population. The ABS should act to clarify or withdraw confusing results from the 2014–15 NATSISS survey. Implications for public health: Official statistics are used to allocate resources; in particular, to and within the National Disability Insurance Scheme. These need to be accurate to ensure Indigenous people’s health needs are met.https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12838disabilityAboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderprevalencestatisticsIndigenousAustralia |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Clare Coleman Nicola Wing Young Man John Gilroy Richard Madden |
spellingShingle |
Clare Coleman Nicola Wing Young Man John Gilroy Richard Madden Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disability prevalence: making sense of multiple estimates and definitions Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health disability Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prevalence statistics Indigenous Australia |
author_facet |
Clare Coleman Nicola Wing Young Man John Gilroy Richard Madden |
author_sort |
Clare Coleman |
title |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disability prevalence: making sense of multiple estimates and definitions |
title_short |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disability prevalence: making sense of multiple estimates and definitions |
title_full |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disability prevalence: making sense of multiple estimates and definitions |
title_fullStr |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disability prevalence: making sense of multiple estimates and definitions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disability prevalence: making sense of multiple estimates and definitions |
title_sort |
aboriginal and torres strait islander disability prevalence: making sense of multiple estimates and definitions |
publisher |
Wiley |
series |
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
issn |
1326-0200 1753-6405 |
publishDate |
2018-12-01 |
description |
Abstract Objective: To analyse the multiple sources of statistics on prevalence of disability among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) people in Australia to provide reliable headline estimates. Methods: Survey documentation and statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) were collated and comparatively analysed. Results: Two separate concepts are defined by the ABS: ‘Disability’ and ‘Disability and restrictive health conditions’. The former is used in the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), the recommended source of disability prevalence estimates. The second is used in surveys to compare people with disability to those without. The 2014–15 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey (NATSISS) used a mix of these definitions, which led to differing prevalence estimates from SDAC estimates. Further, there is confusion in the NATSISS results, with ‘disability’ frequently replacing ‘disability and restrictive health condition’. Discussion: The SDAC should be used for prevalence statistics on disability in the Indigenous population. The ABS should act to clarify or withdraw confusing results from the 2014–15 NATSISS survey. Implications for public health: Official statistics are used to allocate resources; in particular, to and within the National Disability Insurance Scheme. These need to be accurate to ensure Indigenous people’s health needs are met. |
topic |
disability Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prevalence statistics Indigenous Australia |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12838 |
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