TY - JOUR
T1 - Disability-based discrimination and health
T2 - findings from an Australian-based population study
AU - Krnjacki, Lauren
AU - Priest, Naomi
AU - Aitken, Zoe
AU - Emerson, Eric
AU - Llewellyn, Gwynnyth
AU - King, Tania
AU - Kavanagh, Anne
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Authors
PY - 2018/4
Y1 - 2018/4
N2 - Objective: Among working-age Australian adults with a disability, we assess the association between disability-based discrimination and both overall health and psychological distress. Methods: Using data from the 2015 Australian Bureau of Statistics Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers we estimated the proportion of working-age women and men (15–64 years) with disability who report disability-based discrimination by socio-demographic characteristics and assessed the association between disability-based discrimination and self-reported health and psychological distress. Results: Nearly 14% of Australians with disability reported disability-based discrimination in the previous year. Disability-based discrimination was more common among people living in more disadvantaged circumstances (unemployed, low income, lower-status occupations), younger people and people born in English-speaking countries. Disability-based discrimination was associated with higher levels of psychological distress (OR: 2.53, 95%CI: 2.11, 3.02) and poorer self-reported health (OR: 1.63, 95%CI: 1.37, 1.95). Conclusion: Disability-based discrimination is a prevalent, important determinant of health for Australians with disability. Implications for public health: Disability-based discrimination is an under-recognised public health problem that is likely to contribute to disability-based health inequities. Public health policy, research and practice needs to concentrate efforts on developing policy and programs that reduce discrimination experienced by Australians with disability.
AB - Objective: Among working-age Australian adults with a disability, we assess the association between disability-based discrimination and both overall health and psychological distress. Methods: Using data from the 2015 Australian Bureau of Statistics Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers we estimated the proportion of working-age women and men (15–64 years) with disability who report disability-based discrimination by socio-demographic characteristics and assessed the association between disability-based discrimination and self-reported health and psychological distress. Results: Nearly 14% of Australians with disability reported disability-based discrimination in the previous year. Disability-based discrimination was more common among people living in more disadvantaged circumstances (unemployed, low income, lower-status occupations), younger people and people born in English-speaking countries. Disability-based discrimination was associated with higher levels of psychological distress (OR: 2.53, 95%CI: 2.11, 3.02) and poorer self-reported health (OR: 1.63, 95%CI: 1.37, 1.95). Conclusion: Disability-based discrimination is a prevalent, important determinant of health for Australians with disability. Implications for public health: Disability-based discrimination is an under-recognised public health problem that is likely to contribute to disability-based health inequities. Public health policy, research and practice needs to concentrate efforts on developing policy and programs that reduce discrimination experienced by Australians with disability.
KW - ableism
KW - disability
KW - discrimination
KW - psychological distress
KW - self-reported health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85034741078&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1753-6405.12735
DO - 10.1111/1753-6405.12735
M3 - Article
SN - 1326-0200
VL - 42
SP - 172
EP - 174
JO - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
JF - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
IS - 2
ER -