Mortality variation across Australia: descriptive data for States and Territories, and statistical divisions

OBJECTIVE: To describe variation in all cause and selected cause-specific m ortality rates across Australia. METHODS: Mortality and population data for 1997 were obtained from the Aust ralian Bureau of Statistics. All cause and selected cause-specific mortalit y rates were calculated and directly standardised to the 1997 Australian po pulation in 5-year age groups. Selected major causes of death included canc er, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, accidents a nd suicide. Rates are reported by statistical division, and State and Terri tory. RESULTS: All cause age-standardised mortality was 6.98 per 1000 in 1997 and this varied 2-fold from a low in the statistical division of Pilbara, West ern Australia (5.78, 95% confidence interval 5.06-6.56), to a high in North ern Territory-excluding Darwin (11.30, 10.67-11.98). Similar mortality vari ation (all p<0.0001) exists for cancer (1.01-2.23 per 1000) and coronary ar tery disease (0.99-2.23 per 1000), the two biggest killers. Larger variatio n (all p<0.0001) exists for cerebrovascular disease (0.7-11.8 per 10,000), diabetes (0.7-6.9 per 10,000), accidents (1.7-7.2 per 10,000) and suicide ( 0.6-3.8 per 10,000). Less marked variation was observed when analysed by St ate and Territory. but Northern Territory consistently has the highest age- standardised mortality rates. CONCLUSIONS: Analysed by statistical division, substantial mortality gradie nts exist across Australia, suggesting an inequitable distribution of the d eterminants of health. Further research is required to better understand th is heterogeneity.