The socioeconomic gradient and chronic illness and associated risk factors in Australia

Table 2 Inequality in prevalence of selected health risk factors, 18–64 years, 2001¹

Health risk factors	Rate²	Rate ratio by quintile of socioeconomic disadvantage of area³
		First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth
Current smokers - Male	30 582	1.00	1.40***	1.55***	1.71***	1.95***
- Female	24 009	1.00	1.29***	1.34***	1.48***	2.00***
- Persons	27 275	1.00	1.35***	1.45***	1.61***	1.96***
Alcohol – High risk - Males	6 976	1.00	1.09	1.26*	1.26*	1.45***
- Females	2 127	1.00	0.59*	0.94	0.76	0.87
- Persons	4 537	1.00	0.93	1.16	1.12	1.22*
Did not exercise - Males	28 772	1.00	1.20**	1.36***	1.52***	1.68***
- Females	28 220	1.00	1.19**	1.29***	1.35***	1.65***
- Persons	28 494	1.00	1.20***	1.32***	1.43***	1.66***
Underweight females	12 675	1.00	0.89	0.83*	0.72***	0.91
Overweight/obese - Males	54 701	1.00	1.09*	1.11*	1.04***	1.00
- Females	37 004	1.00	1.09	1.21***	1.16**	1.17**
- Persons	45 798	1.00	1.09**	1.15***	1.09**	1.06

¹Survey respondents can be shown under more than one type of risk factor.
²Rate is the number of persons per 100,000 population estimated to be at risk from the health risk factor.
³The extent of any inequality is shown by the rate ratio, which expresses the ratio of the rate in each quintile to the rate in Quintile 1 (the most advantaged areas, with a rate ratio of 1.00); rate ratios differing significantly from 1.0 are shown with * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001.
Source: National Health Survey, ABS 2002