Kentish Demographic Profile 2015

This is an extensive demographic profile and analysis developed for the Kentish Local Government Area for the Kentish Community Health and Wellbeing Mapping Project. This project was a collaborative project between the University of Tasmania Centre for Rural Health, Kentish Council and Tasmania Medicare Local.

In this demographic profile, population characteristics are reviewed and social determinants of health in the community are examined in order to provide a detailed snapshot of the influences on people’s health in Kentish, their health outcomes and access to health services. People’s health is influenced by individual characteristics and personal behaviours as well as by their social, economic and physical context.

The study area is the Kentish Local Government Area in Northwest Tasmania. The study area includes the population centres of Sheffield and Railton as well as surrounding rural areas. For each indicator, comparisons with Tasmania and Australia have been included to demonstrate how Kentish is faring compared to state and national averages. The number of Kentish residents in terms of each indicator is also included where possible in order to identify levels of need and impact in the study area.

The demographic profile commences with key characteristics of the population in the study area providing contextual information about population size, growth, density and distribution. Individual characteristics are then enumerated in terms of age and gender, ageing of the population, education and qualifications, and English language proficiency. The social determinants of health are explored in terms of the social, economic and physical environment as these aspects of people’s lives have a profound effect on health outcomes.

The social environment is about social support and connectivity in the community. Measures related to the social environment included here are household and family structure, volunteering levels, the ability to seek support in times of crisis, feelings of safety, and access to the Internet. The economic environment is explored in terms of economic disadvantage, individual and household income, government income support, and financial stress. The physical environment is also included with measures of housing, employment and transport.

As well as the social determinants of health, people’s personal behaviours also play a critical role in health outcomes. Health risk factors, immunisation, self-assessed health, and chronic conditions are included in this profile. Data on the use and provision of health and welfare services are important components of community health needs assessments. Aspects included here are private health insurance coverage, delayed medical treatment due to financial constraints, MBS services, and aged care.

Primary data sources utilised in these analyses include:

• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Census of Population and Housing 2011 and 2006
• Public Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU), Social Health Atlas of Australia 2014 and 2010; Social Health Atlas of Australia: Tasmania 2014 and 2010; and Social Health Atlas of Australian Local Government Areas 2010
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), SEIFA: Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas 2011
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Census of Population and Housing: Estimating Homelessness 2011