The report, Health status and risk factors of Australians with disability 2007–08 and 2011–12, shows that in 2011–12, half (51%) of Australians aged 15–64 with severe or profound disability (that is, sometimes or always needing personal help with activities of self-care, mobility or communication) rated their health as 'poor or fair', compared with 6% for those without disability.
'In 2007–08, 45% of that same group rated their health as 'poor or fair', compared with 5% for those without disability', said AIHW spokesperson Mark Cooper-Stanbury.
In 2011–12, people aged 15-64 with severe or profound disability were twice as likely to smoke daily (31% for those with severe or profound disability versus 15% for those without disability) and 1.8 times as likely to start daily smoking before the age of 18 (41% versus 23%).
Almost half reported doing no physical exercise (46% of people with severe or profound disability, versus 31% for those without disability) and they were 1.7 times as likely as those without disability to be obese.
This group also had a higher prevalence of various types of long-term health conditions, and were 3.3 times as likely as those without disability to have 3 or more long-term health conditions (74% versus 23%).
'Half of people under 65 with severe or profound disability had mental health conditions, compared with 8% for those without disability', said Cooper-Stanbury.
Additionally, among people aged under 65 with a mental health condition, those with severe or profound disability were more likely than those without disability to acquire a mental health condition before the age of 25 (39% versus 28%).
People aged under 65 with severe or profound disability were 4 times as likely as those without disability to have arthritis. Among people aged under 65 with arthritis, half (49%) of those with severe or profound disability acquired the condition before the age of 45, compared with 37% for those without disability.
The AIHW is a major national agency set up by the Australian Government to provide reliable, regular and relevant information and statistics on Australia's health and welfare.