4-4

4-4. Asthma prevalence

In 2017, around one in seven (14.5%) South Australians aged 18 years or more were living with asthma¹.
Asthma is defined here based on the Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring: the respondent had been diagnosed with asthma and had experienced symptoms and/or treatment in the last 12-months.
The rate varies between the local health networks (LHNs) from 10.9% in the Flinders and Upper North LHN to 21.8% in the Yorke and Northern LHN¹.
The Country SA rate (15.7%) is statistically significantly higher than the metropolitan Adelaide rate of 13.9%¹.
No statistically significant underlying trend over the last decade in the proportion of people reporting living with asthma was identified, either for the metropolitan Adelaide or Country SA time series¹.

4-4-1

Data source: SA Health 2018

In 2017, the proportion of the population aged 18 years and over that was living with asthma was higher for females (17.5%) than males (11.5%)¹.
Asthma is defined here based on the Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring: the respondent had been diagnosed with asthma and had experienced symptoms and/or treatment in the last 12-months.

4-4-2

Data source: SA Health 2018

In 2017, there was a statistically significant inverse correlation between the proportion of people aged 18 years and over who are living with asthma and the socio-economic status of the area in which they live¹.
Asthma is defined here based on the Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring: the respondent had been diagnosed with asthma and had experienced symptoms and/or treatment in the last 12-months.

4-4-3

Data source: SA Health 2018

Data presented here is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2017-18 National Health Survey for people of all ages and is not directly comparable with data presented from the state-wide survey for ages 18 years and over in 4-4-1 to 4-4-3 above.
The national survey reports figures that broadly corroborate the state-wide survey, with around one in eight (12.9%, age standardised) of the population in South Australia estimated to be living with asthma².
The South Australian rate is higher than the Australian average (11.2%, age standardised) and is ranked second highest of the states and territories².

**Living with asthma (all ages), 2017–18 (age-standardised)**
State/Territory	%
Northern Territory	7.4%
Western Australia	9.5%
New South Wales	10.6%
Victoria	11.3%
Queensland	11.8%
Australian Capital Territory	12.2%
South Australia	12.9%
Tasmania	13.0%
Australia	11.2%

4-4-4

Data source: ABS 2018

The 22.8% of Aboriginal people in South Australia who reported living with asthma is above the national average for Aboriginal people of 15.7%³.
Compared to Aboriginal people in other states and territories, South Australia is ranked second-highest for this indicator³.
The rate for Aboriginal people in South Australia is around double the 12.9% (age standardised) all-person prevalence for this state (see 4-4-4 above)³.

**Living with asthma - Aboriginal people (all ages), 2018–19 (crude rates)**
State/Territory	%
Northern Territory	6.2%
Western Australia	12.5%
Queensland	13.7%
Victoria	17.9%
New South Wales	18.6%
Tasmania	21.8%
South Australia	22.8%
Australian Capital Territory	26.0%
Australia	15.7%

4-4-5

Data source: ABS 2019

Based on South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System customised extract 2018, Prevention and Population Health, SA Health, Adelaide, 16 August 2018.
Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2018), ‘Table 2.3 Summary health characteristics — States and territories, Proportion of persons’, National Health Survey: First Results, 2017-18, cat. no. 4364.0.55.001, 12 December 2018.
Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2019), 'Table 3.3 Selected health characteristics, by State/Territory, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons, 2018–19, Proportion of persons,' National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, 2018-19, cat. no. 4715.0, 11 December 2019.