4-5

4-5. Diabetes prevalence

In 2017, around one in ten (10.1%) South Australians aged 18 years or more had ever been told by a doctor that they had diabetes¹.
The rate varies between local health networks (LHNs) from 5.4% in the Yorke and Northern LHN to 13.8% in the Flinders and Upper North LHN¹.
The increasing trend over the last decade in the proportion of people in metropolitan Adelaide reporting living with diabetes is statistically significant, however not so for the Country SA time series¹.
The metropolitan Adelaide rate (10.3%) is not statistically significantly lower than the Country SA rate (11.1%)¹.

4-5-1

*Relative Standard Error is between 25% and 50%. Please treat the estimate with caution.

Data source: SA Health 2018

In 2017, the proportion of the population aged 18 years and over that had ever been told by a doctor that they have diabetes was higher for males (11.2%) than females (10.0%)¹.
The prevalence of diabetes is correlated with age¹.

4-5-2

Data source: SA Health 2018

In 2017, there was a no statistically significant correlation between the proportion of people aged 18 years and over who have ever been told by a doctor that they have diabetes and the socio-economic status of the area in which they live (SES)¹.

4-5-3

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 who are or had been living with diabetes mellitus and is not directly comparable with data presented from the state-wide survey for ages 18 years and over in 4-5-1 to 4-5-3 above.
The national survey finds that around one in 20 (5.1%, age-standardised) of the South Australian population is living with diabetes mellitus. This is self-reported and includes Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and type unknown. Estimates also include persons who reported they had diabetes but that it was not current at the time of interview².
The South Australian rate is above the Australian average (4.3%, age standardised) and is ranked second highest of the states and territories².

**Living with diabetes mellitus (all ages), 2017–18 (age-standardised)**
State/Territory	%
Western Australia	3.8%
Australian Capital Territory	4.0%
Queensland	4.0%
New South Wales	4.3%
Tasmania	4.3%
Victoria	4.6%
South Australia	5.1%
Northern Territory	6.3%
Australia	4.3%

4-5-4

Data source: ABS 2018

The prevalence of diabetes in the South Australian Aboriginal population was 8.9% in 2012-13, around twice that of the all-population prevalence for this state in 2011-12 (see 4-5-4 above). However, readers should note that figures are not directly comparable because of different time periods and definitions³.
Compared to Aboriginal people in other states and territories, South Australia was ranked third highest for this indicator³.
However, the South Australian rate was 3.1 percentage points below the highest ranked jurisdiction (Northern Territory)³.

**Diabetes/high sugar levels prevalence – Aboriginal people (aged 2+ years), 2012-13**
State/Territory	%
Tasmania	3.8%
Victoria	7.1%
Australian Capital Territory	7.6%
New South Wales	8.1%
Queensland	8.3%
South Australia	8.9%
Western Australia	10.0%
Northern Territory	12.0%
Australia	8.6%

4-5-5

Data source: ABS 2014

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 2014), 'Table 3.3 Selected health characteristics, by State/Territory – 2012-13, Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons,' Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health survey: Updated results 2012-13, cat. no. 4727.0.55.006, viewed 18 August 2014.