Renal-related deaths in Indigenous people in Queensland, Australia.
OBJECTIVE
Indigenous Australians have much higher mortality than non-Indigenous Australians. We aimed to quantify the excess of deaths with a renal causal assignment among Indigenous people aged 25 years and over in Queensland, Australia, 1997-2000 and their distribution by remoteness.


METHODS
Both underlying and associated causes defined by ICD, 10(th) edition, were examined. Mortality rates were standardized to the concurrent non-Indigenous population.


RESULTS
In Indigenous people, standardized mortality ratios with a renal assignment of death by remoteness of residence were 194% (Major City and Inner Regional), 439% (Outer Regional and Remote) and 782% (Very Remote). Of all these deaths with a renal assignment, only 18% had a renal assignment as the underlying cause. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease were frequent concomitant causes in deaths with a renal assignment.


CONCLUSIONS
The Indigenous population in Queensland has elevated rates of renal deaths compared with the non-Indigenous population. This disparity increases markedly with increasing remoteness of residence. Reliance on underlying causes of death alone greatly underestimates the association of renal disease with deaths in this population.
Andreasyan
Karen
K
Centre for Chronic Disease, Central Clinical School, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. kandreasyan@somc.uq.edu.au
Hoy
Wendy E
WE
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D044382:Population Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data