Work

Small-area geographical variation in the prevalence of diabetes amongst Australian youth aged <20 years in 2021

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: To characterise small-area geographical variation in the prevalence of diabetes in Australian youth. METHODS: A combined statistical reconstruction and small-area estimation algorithm was applied to privacy-modulated data from the 2021 Australian Census. The census instrument and reconstruction accuracy was examined by comparisons against a hospital-based register and community register. Diabetes prevalence maps were created from the small-area estimates. RESULTS: The median and interquartile range of estimated diabetes prevalence by small-area unit under our geospatial smoothing model were 1.76 [1.49-1.97] cases per 1000 population for those aged 0-14 years and 5.2 [4.4-5.9] cases per 1000 population for those aged 15-19 years old. Concentrations of elevated prevalence were identified in the vicinities of regional towns across South-East Queensland, regional New South Wales and regional Victoria. Across each of Australia's five largest cities a gradient of decreasing youth diabetes prevalence from the outer suburbs to the urban centre was identified. CONCLUSION: Diabetes burden is systematically higher among rural and peri-urban resident youth in Australia compared with their urban counterparts. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: Hotspots of prevalence in regional areas deserve attention from public health authorities.

Source: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health

DOI: 10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100234

Authors: Ewan Cameron, Song Zhang, Aveni Haynes, Peter W. Gething

Institutions: The Kids Research Institute Australia, Curtin University, The University of Western Australia

Language: English

Topic: Diabetes Management and Research

Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,600