Australia’s Allergy Epidemic: A Growing Concern for First Nations People?
Australians are often called the allergy capital of the world. Allergic diseases – such as allergic asthma, hay fever, eczema, and food allergies – affect almost one in five people. And this figure is expected to rise in the years to come.
An allergy happens when the body’s immune system mistakenly reacts to certain foods or other substances as if they were dangerous.
But do allergies affect all Australians equally?
What we did and found
We analyzed 813,112 ED presentations from 12 public hospitals in central Queensland from 2018 to 2023. The hospitals were spread across regional and remote areas.
Of the conditions we looked at, asthma was the most likely to bring patients to the ED. This was followed by unspecified allergies, atopic dermatitis (or eczema), and anaphylaxis (a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction). First Nations people were more likely than other Australians to present with each of these conditions.
Overall, we found First Nations people were almost twice as likely to visit an ED for asthma or allergic diseases compared to other Australians. It should be noted that asthma is not always caused by allergies, and in this study, we looked at all presentations for asthma, regardless of the cause.
Our study also found ED visits for allergic diseases among First Nations people increased over time. They were around 1.5 times more common in 2023 compared to 2018.
Further, we found a notable peak in asthma-related visits to the ED among First Nations people in 2019. This increase may have been partly due to Australia’s Black Summer bushfires during 2019-20.
Are these findings surprising?
National data shows asthma is one of the most commonly reported chronic illnesses for First Nations Australians. More than 16% of First Nations Australians reported they had asthma in 2022-23, compared to 10.8% of the general Australian population.
However, we were surprised to find First Nations people visited the ED more often for other allergic diseases. Allergies have not necessarily been recognized as an important concern among First Nations people, particularly in remote areas.
How about food allergies?
Interestingly, we didn’t find any food allergy cases in our data. But some of the “unspecified” allergies could be linked to food allergies, as could some of the cases of anaphylaxis.
Australian researchers have found differences in the prevalence of food allergies among different groups, but they lacked specific data on First Nations populations. We know little about how common food allergies are in First Nations Australians.
Some limitations
This is the first comprehensive study, to our knowledge, that looks at asthma and allergic disease-related ED visits among both First Nations people and other Australians in an under-researched part of Australia.
However, we only looked at asthma and allergic diseases treated in the ED, which doesn’t encompass all cases. For example, some people might visit other health services such as GPs when they’re having a less severe allergic episode.
Conclusion
We found First Nations people were almost twice as likely to visit an ED for asthma or allergic diseases compared to other Australians. This highlights the need for targeted and culturally respectful strategies to address these issues.
Ultimately, we need more research to better understand how common allergies and allergic diseases are among First Nations Australians.
FAQs
Q: Why is there a growing concern about allergies in Australia?
A: Allergic diseases affect almost one in five people, and this figure is expected to rise in the years to come.
Q: What are some of the most common allergic diseases?
A: Allergic asthma, hay fever, eczema, and food allergies are some of the most common allergic diseases.
Q: Why are First Nations people more likely to visit the ED for allergic diseases?
A: We don’t know for certain, but it may be due to limited access to specialists, long wait lists, or a lack of understanding about allergies in rural areas.
Q: What can be done to address these issues?
A: We need more research, targeted and culturally respectful strategies, and better access to healthcare services for First Nations people.
