Table 2

Inequality in prevalence of selected health risk factors, 18–64 years, 20011
Health risk factors
 Rate2
 Rate ratio by quintile of socioeconomic disadvantage of area3




First
 Second
 Third
 Fourth
 Fifth
Current smokers - Male
 30 582
 1.00
 1.40***
 1.55***
 1.71***
 1.95***
          - Female
 24 009
 1.00
 1.29***
 1.34***
 1.48***
 2.00***
          - Persons
 27 275
 1.00
 1.35***
 1.45***
 1.61***
 1.96***
Alcohol – High risk - Males
 6 976
 1.00
 1.09
 1.26*
 1.26*
 1.45***
          - Females
 2 127
 1.00
 0.59*
 0.94
 0.76
 0.87
          - Persons
 4 537
 1.00
 0.93
 1.16
 1.12
 1.22*
Did not exercise - Males
 28 772
 1.00
 1.20**
 1.36***
 1.52***
 1.68***
          - Females
 28 220
 1.00
 1.19**
 1.29***
 1.35***
 1.65***
          - Persons
 28 494
 1.00
 1.20***
 1.32***
 1.43***
 1.66***
Underweight females
 12 675
 1.00
 0.89
 0.83*
 0.72***
 0.91
Overweight/obese - Males
 54 701
 1.00
 1.09*
 1.11*
 1.04***
 1.00
          - Females
 37 004
 1.00
 1.09
 1.21***
 1.16**
 1.17**
          - Persons
 45 798
 1.00
 1.09**
 1.15***
 1.09**
 1.06

1Survey respondents can be shown under more than one type of risk factor.

2Rate is the number of persons per 100,000 population estimated to be at risk from the health risk factor.

3The extent of any inequality is shown by the rate ratio, which expresses the ratio of the rate in each quintile to the rate in Quintile 1 (the most advantaged areas, with a rate ratio of 1.00); rate ratios differing significantly from 1.0 are shown with * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001.

Source: National Health Survey, ABS 2002

Glover et al. Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 2004 1:8   doi:10.1186/1743-8462-1-8