Asthma and allergy rates higher among First Nations people in Australia

Researchers at The University of Queensland have found First Nations people are twice as likely to present at hospital with asthma and other allergy related illnesses, compared to other Australians.

Dr. Desalegn Markos Shifti, from UQ's Child Health Research Centre led a study analysing 813,112 Emergency Department (ED) presentations at 12 public hospitals in Central Queensland, between 2018 and 2023.

We found First Nations Australians were significantly more likely to present to an ED for asthma or other allergic diseases compared to other Australians.

Other allergic illnesses included anaphylaxis, atopic dermatitis and other unspecified allergies.

Our study captured the burden of severe and potentially life-threatening cases that necessitate immediate medical attention, highlighting the acute impact of asthma and allergic diseases.

And worryingly, we found that ED presentations for asthma and allergies increased over time."

Dr. Desalegn Markos Shifti, from UQ's Child Health Research Centre 

Australia is known as the allergy capital of the world with allergic diseases affecting around one in 5 people and is anticipated to increase by 70 per cent by 2050.

However, studies in rural, regional and remote areas are limited, impacting the understanding of the scale and unique factors that influence allergic diseases in these settings.

Senior-author Associate Professor Jennifer Koplin said the higher rate of ED presentations related to allergic diseases was surprising given allergic and atopic diseases have not been traditionally recognised as an important concern among Indigenous Australians.

"It's important for further research to understand the impact of allergic disease among Indigenous Australians and to explore the causes of these differences and strategies to address them," Dr Koplin said.

Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service's Acting Executive Director of Medical Services Dr Gulam Khandaker welcomed the collaboration between Central Queensland Public Health Unit and UQ's Child Health Research Centre, saying research studies such as these were vital to improve health outcomes for locals.

"Medical research improves outcomes for patients and enables our clinicians to have access to evidence-based, best-practice treatments," Dr Khandaker said.

"We are delighted to work in partnership with researchers from UQ's Child Health Research Centre to ensure Central Queensland is well represented in this regard."

The study was also supported by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute.

The research has been published in BMJ Open.