People with disabilities experience mortality inequalities compared to those without disabilities, research reveals.

The study used Census mortality linked data from 2011 to 2020 to create a cohort of Australians up to the age of 74. In total, 15,216,195 people were included. Of these participants, 3.5% of men and 2.9% of women had a disability.
Among those with a disability, deaths were 3.69% higher in men and 4.64% higher in women. Cancer and cardiovascular disease had the highest absolute inequalities, while the largest relative inequalities were from neurological conditions.
Additionally, age-specific mortality was consistently higher in people with disability. Leading contributors to absolute inequalities were neurological conditions among younger ages, and cancer, cardiovascular diseases and chronic lung diseases among older ages.
The researchers stress that it is important to identify the ‘intervention-amenable’ factors that contribute to these inequalities. From there, targeted interventions and policy reforms to create more inclusive health and social care environments for people with a disability is key.
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