Hospital admissions and length of stay for coronary disease in an Aboriginal cohort.
OBJECTIVE
Coronary disease (CHD)-related hospital admission is more common among indigenous than non-indigenous Australians. We aimed to identify predictors of hospital admission potentially useful in planning prevention programs.


RESULTS
Length of stay (LOS), interval between, and number of recurrent admissions were modelled with proportional hazards or negative binomial models using lifestyle data recorded in 1988-1989 among Aborigines (256 women, 258 men, aged 15-88years) linked to hospital records to 2002. Among 106 Aborigines with CHD, hypertension (hazard ratio (HR) 1.69, 95% CI 1.05-2.73); smoking (HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.02-3.53); consuming processed meat >4 times/month (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.01-3.24); >6 eggs/week (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.03-2.94); and lower intake of alcohol (HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.35-0.83) predicted LOS. Eating eggs (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09) and bush meats > or =7 times/month (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.23-0.92) predicted interval between recurrent admissions. Hypertension (IRR 4.07; 95% CI 1.32-12.52), being an ex-drinker (IRR 6.60, 95% CI 2.30-19.00), eating red meat >6 times/week (IRR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99), bush meats >7 times/month (IRR 0.26, 95% CI 0.10-0.67), and adding salt to meals (IRR 3.16, 95% CI 1.12-8.92) predicted number of admissions.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypertension, alcohol drinking, smoking, and diet influence hospital admissions for CHD in Aboriginal Australians.
University of Western Australia, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, Box X2213 GPO, Perth, WA 6847, Australia. vburke@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
V
V
Burke
Y
Y
Zhao
A H
AH
Lee
E
E
Hunter
R M
RM
Spargo
M
M
Gracey
R
R
Smith
L J
LJ
Beilin
I B
IB
Puddey
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000208:ethnology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000208:ethnology; D013997:Time Factors