Daniel Terry|Shalley Robins|Samantha Gardiner|Ruby Wyett|Rafiqul Islam
Asthma hospitalisation trends from 2010 to 2015: variation among rural and metropolitan Australians
University of Melbourne|University of Melbourne|University of Melbourne|University of Melbourne|Goulburn Valley Health
asthma remains leading cause illness primary care assist reduce hospitalisations prevention controlling acute episodes overall management asthma victoria asthma hospitalisations high 31 hospitalisations per 1000 population 199394 primary aims study determine changes asthma hospitalisations occurred 2010 2015 determine key factors impact asthma hospitalisation time verify whether rural urban asthma hospitalisations disparate secondary aim study compare 20102015 results asthma data prior 2010 hospital separation data 1 july 2010 30 june 2015 obtained victorian admitted episodes dataset agencies data included sex age local government area private public patient length stay type discharge asthma predictor variables analysed according hospital separation rates adjusting smoking sex hierarchical multiple regression examined association asthma predictor variables study period 49529 asthma hospital separations occurred 775 metropolitan hospitals 554 hospital separations aged 014 years 217 privately funded statewide hospital separations 185 per 1000 population consistently higher metropolitan compared rural areas 193 vs 164 per 1000 population data among metropolitan adults aged 15 analysed increase proportion smokers population reflected increase number hospital separations adj 1035 among rural metropolitan children aged 014 predictor asthma hospital separations sex metropolitan male children higher odds separation metropolitan females age adj 4297 statistically meaningful difference separation rates males females rural areas demonstrated higher overall hospital separation rate metropolitan victoria children metropolitan areas males hospitalised higher rates females inverse demonstrated children residing rural areas therefore optimising asthma management requires consideration patients age gender residential context primary health care may play leading role increasing health literacy patients order improve selfmanagement healthseeking behaviour