In a report published earlier today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) people born in Australia from English-speaking backgrounds are more likely to suffer from chronic health conditions than the country’s migrant population.
According to the government report, people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are identified as a priority population in a number of key Australian Government health strategies.
This web report is part of a program of work on the health status of CALD people in Australia and presents data on the prevalence of chronic conditions reported by CALD Australians in the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2021 Census of Population and Housing.
The data shows that most ethnic groups have lower, and in many cases significantly lower total mortality than the Australian population as a whole, while ethnic group mortality has been decreasing in parallel with that of the Australian-born.
Given that migration to Australia depends on a successful application which does not favour candidates with existing health problems, individuals applying to migrate to Australia tend to be among the healthier members from their countries of origin.
For some groups, the level of mortality increases with a longer duration of residence. This should be interpreted with care because those migrating during one time period may differ from those migrating in another.
Almost all migrant populations in Australia experience lower mortality than in their countries of origin.
AIHW was able to access information on the prevalence of 10 chronic conditions by country of birth, time since arrival, and language; for the first time.
People born in Australia and migrants from other English-speaking countries and Europe were generally more likely to suffer from arthritis, asthma, cancer, lung conditions and mental health conditions, the report found.
For Australians born in some overseas countries – particularly from regions such as Polynesia, South Asia and the Middle East – there were higher rates of dementia, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.
A difference in health for people who live in remote parts of Australia has been noted, however, there are also circumstances that affect the health of those who live in major cities, such as access to green spaces, health services, and adequate housing.
Australians who arrived through the humanitarian stream may experience worse health outcomes, due to initial difficulties and lack of familiarity with the culture and predominantly the English language.
Find the report here.
