Health-related behaviours as predictors of mortality and morbidity in Australian Aborigines.
OBJECTIVE
To examine predictors of coronary heart disease (CHD) and all-cause mortality in Aboriginal Australians.


METHODS
In 1988-89, a survey of Western Australian Aborigines (256 women, 258 men) aged 15-88 years documented diet, alcohol and smoking habits. Linkage to mortality and hospital admissions to the end of 2002 provided longitudinal data for modelling of coronary heart disease endpoints and all-cause mortality using Cox regression.


RESULTS
Coronary heart disease risk increased with smoking (HR 2.62, 95% CI: 1.19, 5.75), consumption of processed meats >once/week (HR 2.21, 95% CI: 1.05, 4.63), eggs >twice/week (HR 2.59, 95% CI: 1.11, 6.04) and using spreads on bread (HR 3.14. 95% CI: 1.03, 9.61). All-cause mortality risk was lower with exercise >once/week (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.26, 1.05), increased in ex-drinkers (HR 3.66, 95% CI: 1.08, 12.47), heavy drinkers (HR 5.26, 95% CI: 1.46, 7.52) and with consumption of take away foods >nine times/month (HR 1.78, 95% CI 0.96, 3.29). Greater alcohol intake, smoking and adverse dietary choices clustered in 53% of men and 56% of women and increased risk of coronary heart disease (HR 2.1, 95% CI: 1.1, 4.0) and all-cause mortality (HR 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2, 4.2).


CONCLUSIONS
Lifestyle in Aboriginal Australians predicts coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality. Clustering of adverse behaviours is common and increases risk of coronary heart disease and death.
Burke
V
V
University of Western Australia School of Medicine and Pharmacology, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, Box X2213 GPO, Perth 6847, Australia. vburke@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Zhao
Y
Y
Lee
A H
AH
Hunter
E
E
Spargo
R M
RM
Gracey
M
M
Smith
R M
RM
Beilin
L J
LJ
Puddey
I B
IB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002423:Cause of Death; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology