Quick questions on Health status in Australia: HSC Health and Movement Science Focus Area 1

Australia performs well on most OECD comparators: life expectancy is in the top quartile, infant mortality is low (approximately 3 per 1000), and adult mortality from preventable causes has fallen over the past decades. Areas where Australia performs less well: rates of overweight and obesity (approximately two-thirds of adults), rates of mental illness (around one in five adults in any year), and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health gaps.

The average number of years a newborn would live if current age-specific mortality rates persist. Australian life expectancy is among the highest in the OECD (approximately 81 for males, 85 for females; AIHW reports updated annually). The gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life expectancy and the non-Indigenous Australian population is approximately 8 years (males) and 8 years (females), with the Closing the Gap target aiming to close that gap by 2031.

Deaths per population per unit time. Reported as crude mortality rate (all deaths) or cause-specific mortality (deaths from a named condition). Major causes of mortality in Australia: coronary heart disease, dementia and Alzheimer's, cerebrovascular disease, lung cancer, COPD.

Total illness in a population, including non-fatal disease burden. Often measured as DALYs (Disability-Adjusted Life Years), which add YLL (Years of Life Lost from premature death) and YLD (Years Lived with Disability).

Total impact of disease and injury on a population in DALYs, broken down by condition. The AIHW Australian Burden of Disease Study reports leading causes; in recent reports, cancer, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal conditions, mental and substance use disorders, and injuries are consistently the top five contributors.

Number of new cases per population per time. Useful for tracking emerging disease and the effect of prevention.

Number of existing cases at a point in time. Useful for planning health services.

Distinguish between mortality and morbidity, using an example of each. [3 marks]

Australia's life expectancy is among the highest in the OECD, yet the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life expectancy and the non-Indigenous population is approximately 8 years. Explain what this contrast tells you about using population-level averages in health status reporting. [5 marks]

A health service plans capacity for the next decade. Justify whether incidence, prevalence or mortality is the most useful measure to inform that planning, with reference to a specific chronic condition. [6 marks]