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To estimate the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, smoking, and atopy in a population of Australians of Aboriginal descent (AAD), to determine the association of these and other factors with lung function, and to compare levels of lung function of AAD with Australians of European descent (AED) according to age and height, and to explore reasons for their differences, we conducted a study of 96 male (41 of whom were under 18 yr of age) and 111 female (48 of whom were under 18 yr of age) AAD living in a single remote tropical community in 1993. This population provided data on age, height, and lung function. A modified British Medical Research Council (MRC) questionnaire on respiratory symptoms and smoking was administered. FEV1, FVC, height, age, and bronchial responsiveness to inhaled methacholine were measured. Atopic status was assessed by skin prick tests for eight common allergens. Age- and sex-adjusted lung function was similar to that of other AAD groups and lower than in AED. For children, lung function increased less with increasing height in AAD than in AED. Lung function was reduced in adult AAD as compared with adult AED, although it was not possible to determine statistically whether lung function started to decline at an earlier age or declined faster with increasing age in AAD. A history of asthma, smoking, dyspnea, cough, or sputum production; atopic status; and increased bronchial responsiveness were all associated with lower levels of lung function. Differences in lung function between AAD and AED appear to be determined by characteristics that may be inherited, as well as by adverse external influences.

The major finding of this study is the high prevalence of risk factors for NIDDM and cardiovascular disease in this population of aboriginal children and adolescents. Abnormalities of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism were well established by late in the second decade of life. Although many subjects had high insulin levels and there was evidence of insulin resistance in the population, hyperinsulinemia did not predict the development of abnormal glucose tolerance 5 years later.

Objective To estimate patterns of alcohol consumption and alcohol‐related problems among adult Aborigines in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Design A community survey of adult Aborigines. Participants A stratified random sample of 516 Aboriginal men and women over the age of 15 years in the Kimberley. Main outcome measures Participants’ reports of their frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption, and their lifetime experience of alcohol‐related problems; and the laboratory measure γ‐glutamyltranspeptidase. Results Aborigines in the Kimberley were more likely to be non‐drinkers than non‐Aborigines in the Australian population, but the majority of drinkers consumed hazardous amounts of alcohol: 85% (95% CI, 82% to 88%) of drinkers in the population were estimated to be drinking above the level defined by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) as harmful. Conclusion Alcohol abuse among Aborigines in the Kimberley is a major public health problem which requires urgent action.

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