The number of hospitalisations for diseases of the eye, per 1,000 First Nations people: Measure 3.1

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Hospitalisations reflect both the occurrence in the population of eye conditions which are serious enough to require hospitalisation, as well as access to and use of hospitals services (Figure 28 and Figure 29).

Latest data

In the 2-year period 2021–23, there were 13,329 hospitalisations for First Nations people for diseases of the eye – a crude rate of 7.4 per 1,000 population (Figure 28).

In 2021–23, for First Nations people, the most common principal diagnosis for hospitalisations for diseases of the eye was disorders of the lens (7,734 hospitalisations or 4.3 per 1,000) followed by disorders of the choroid and retina (2,292 hospitalisations or 1.3 per 1,000), disorders of the eyelid, lacrimal system and orbit (0.4 per 1,000) and disorders of the conjunctiva (0.4 per 1,000) (Figure 28).

Figure 28: Hospitalisations for diseases of the eye, 2021–23

Notes

  1. Based on principal diagnosis only. 
  2. Includes the following ICD-10-AM codes: H00–H59. 
  3. Hospitalisations with a care type of Newborn (without qualified days) and records for Hospital boarders and Posthumous organ procurement have been excluded.  
  4. Includes public and private hospitals.

Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database

Explore more aspects of the data in the following section. See also Figure 29.

By remoteness

In 2021–23, age-standardised hospitalisation rates for eye diseases increased with remoteness. The area with the highest hospitalisation rate for First Nations people was Remote and very remote areas (combined) (13.2 per 1,000) (Figure 29 – remoteness).

By jurisdiction

In 2021–23, the jurisdictions with the highest age-standardised hospitalisation rates for First Nations people for diseases of the eye were Western Australia (19.3 per 1,000), Tasmania (13.9 per 1,000) and Queensland (13.2 per 1,000) (Figure 29 – jurisdiction).

By age and Indigenous status

In 2021–23, hospitalisation rates for eye diseases increased with age and were greatest for those aged 75 and over. Hospitalisation rates were higher among non‑Indigenous Australians aged 75 and over (104.5 per 1,000) than among First Nations people (83.3 per 1,000) (Figure 29 – population groups).

By Primary Health Network

In 2021–23, the Primary Health Networks (PHN) with the highest hospitalisation rates for First Nations people for diseases of the eye were Country WA (16.1 per 1,000), and Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine coast (10.2 per 1,000) and Tasmania (9.5 per 1,000) (Figure 29 – geography).

Time trend

Between 2015–16 and 2022–23, age-specific hospitalisation rates for First Nations people for diseases of the eye increased for all age groups over age 45. The largest increase was for those aged 75 and over, where the rate rose from 69.4 per 1,000 in 2015–16 to 90.8 per 1,000 in 2022–23. Hospitalisation rates for non-Indigenous Australians increased across all age groups apart from those aged 75 and over from 2015–16 to 2022–23. Hospitalisation rates were higher among First Nations people than among non-Indigenous Australians in 2022–23 for those aged 45 to 54 (8.8 and 6.5 per 1,000, respectively) and 55 to 64 (26.4 and 20.7 per 1,000, respectively) but were lower for those aged 65 to 74 and 75 and over (Figure 29 – time trend).

Between 2013–14 and 2022–23, the age-standardised hospitalisation rate for diseases of the eye for First Nations people increased from 8.9 to 13.7 per 1,000, while the rate for non‑Indigenous Australians increased from 13.2 to 14.1 per 1,000. The trend line shows there has been a slight rise in the age-standardised hospitalisation rate for First Nations people over this time (Figure 29 – time trend).

Figure 29: Hospitalisations for diseases of the eye: interactive data

The following extended descriptions are provided to assist people using screen readers. To download the data tables, visit Data.

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