4-5

4-5. Diabetes prevalence

In 2016, around one in 11 (9.2%) South Australians aged 18 years or more had ever been told by a doctor that they had diabetes¹.
The increased trend over the last decade in the proportion of people in metropolitan Adelaide reporting living with diabetes is statistically significant¹.
However, no statistically significant underlying trend was identified for Country SA residents over this time period¹.

4-5-1

Data source: SA Health 2017

In 2016, the proportion of the population aged 18 years and over that had ever been told by a doctor that they have diabetes was statistically significantly higher for males (10.3%) than females (8.3%)¹.
The prevalence of diabetes is correlated with age, particularly for males¹.

4-5-2

Data source: SA Health 2017

In 2016, there was a statistically significant inverse 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 2017

Data presented here is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2014-15 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 estimates that 4.6% of the age-standardised South Australian population self-reports having diabetes (whether or not the disease was current at the time of interview)².
The South Australian rate is level with the estimated Australia-wide rate (4.7%) and there is very little variation between the rates reported for the various states and territories².

**Living with diabetes mellitus (all ages), 2014–15 (age-standardised)**
State/Territory	%
Tasmania	4.2%
Queensland	4.3%
Australian Capital Territory	4.3%
South Australia	4.6%
Western Australia	4.6%
Victoria	4.7%
New South Wales	4.9%
Northern Territory	5.1%
Australia	4.7%

4-5-4

Data source: ABS 2015

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 2017, Population Health Surveys, SA Health, Adelaide.
Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2015), ‘Table 2.3 Summary health characteristics — States and territories, Proportion of persons’, National Health Survey: First Results, 2014-15, cat. no. 4364.0.55.001, viewed 6 June 2016.
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.