Profiling health and socioeconomic disadvantage in the northern Adelaide Local Health Network population

Abstract

ObjectiveWe describe aspects of social disadvantage in the northern Adelaide region, demonstrate how living with disadvantage impacts health outcomes to understand how the local health network can better serve this disadvantaged community.DesignUsing large scale, population-based data from the 2021 census we captured a snapshot of the disadvantage and health status of the community within the northern Adelaide region compared to the central and southern regions of Adelaide and other Australian capital cities.ResultsNorthern Adelaide is a region of greater relative disadvantage, as shown by both the low Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage score (993) compared to the national average (1000) and scores above the national average for the central and southern Adelaide regions. Social determinants that contribute to this relative disadvantage include the proportion of people with no or limited education (26%) and those living on constrained income sources (e.g. unemployment benefits / aged pension, 10% and 72%, respectively). The northern Adelaide region has higher burdens of long-term health conditions including but not limited to diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and lung diseases. The comparatively high prevalence of obesity (37%) for people in the north of Adelaide were associated with low numbers of people with adequate fruit intake (48%) and the higher proportion of people who currently smoke (16%) and who undertake low or no levels of exercise (73%).ConclusionsSocial disadvantage in the northern Adelaide region is associated with poorer health outcomes and higher levels of health risk behaviour compared to the less disadvantaged central and southern regions of Adelaide. Adapting health care to recognise this association may help improve the health of people living with disadvantage.Summary boxThe known. The northern Adelaide region is a disadvantaged community.The new. Here we demonstrate the types and prevalence of social determinants of health and the health status of the northern Adelaide community compared to other regions of greater Adelaide and other greater Australian capital cities.The implications.This snapshot of the local social determinants of health sets a context for the health system to respond to the well-being needs of a community that are driven by some of the most adverse social determinants in Australia.