The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released a report that drills down into the ten health conditions identified in the Census.
The report has concluded people born in Australia, and migrants from other English-speaking countries and Europe, generally have a higher prevalence of chronic conditions such as arthritis, asthma, cancer, lung disease and mental health conditions.
Institute's Claire Sparke says some communities are more prone to illness than others.
"Migrants to Australia have a lower prevalence of long term health conditions and this is consistent with the 'healthy migrant effect', but this is not the case for all migrants... So for example, for vascular conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, people born in countries from regions such as Polynesia, South Asia and the Middle East had a higher prevalence than the Australian-born population."
Educator Michelle Tong is from Diabetes Australia. She says changes in lifestyle and cultural expectations can influence the health of some communities.
"The weight is a little bit above average. They might see that as something of wealth to them, something that is okay in their community. It means beauty. So it's something that might not motivate them to make the changes (to food and lifestyle) as well."
The Institute of Health and Welfare hopes its report and future research will help policy makers figure out where to direct funding if the data shows particular needs.
