# data[].attributes.headline
Do more men or women report disability? Why?

# data[].attributes.subject
Do more men or women report disability? Why?

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My guess would be that more women report disability as from my experience and from previous learning I think women are more likely to go to the doctor, posibly due to stigma around men being vulnerable or asking for help.

According to the Australian Bureau of statistics (2021), women are more likely to indicate disability, but only by 0.6%.
They did not provide explanation as to why.

References: Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Disability and carers: Census.
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/disability/disability-and-carers-census/2021#key-questions-in-2021-census

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Key statistics

1,464,415 people identified as requiring assistance with core activities.

Females are slightly more likely to indicate they require assistance at 6.1 per cent compared to males at 5.5 per cent.

8.2 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people identified requiring assistance with core activities.

76.6 per cent of people identifying as requiring assistance live with family and 19.4 per cent live alone.

Articles and information papers that related to this topic include:

How Census data is used

Learn how Census data helps community groups, businesses and governments make important decisions.

Dinner on the Table uses Census data to better understand how it can support people and families living with a disability in Australia.

'With the pressures of modern life, it can be hard work getting a hearty meal on the table at the end of the day. Dinner on the Table wants to help families with that. We use the Census data in two ways. Firstly, to understand our target market. Who they are and what's important to them. But more importantly we use the Census data to understand disability in Australia. We're interested in things like how many people with a disability live in Australia. We know that they are the largest minority group in this country and that informs how we plan for the services that we provide, but also how we communicate with our key stakeholders.' Rachel Golding, Founder, Dinner on the Table.

Watch our video to learn more.

See more Census stories.

Does the person ever need someone to help with, or be with them for self-care activities?

Does the person ever need someone to help with, or be with them for, body movement activities?

Does the person ever need someone to help with, or be with them for, communication activities?

What are the reasons for the need for assistance or supervision?

The questions from the 2021 Census are output into variables. To see descriptions of the variables, including data use considerations, relevant to this topic see the 2021 Census dictionary: Disability and carers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
1,464,415 people identified as requiring assistance with core activities. Females are slightly more likely to indicate they require assistance at 6.1 per cent compared to males at 5.5 per cent. 8.2 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people identified requiring assistance with core activities.

# data[].attributes.body
I think more women would be reported due to that women are more in tune with seeking treatment or advise and more likely to not feel a stigma with attending medical centres, as-well as that women will talk to their friends about possible diagnosis's whereas men might keep to themselves and not seek advise from friends to then seek greater help.

Overall, the likelihood of experiencing disability varies by age but does not vary much by sex after childhood (Figure PREVALENCE.1):

9.5% of males and 5.7% of females aged 0–14 have disability

9.2% of males and 9.5% of females aged 15–24 have disability

13% of males and females aged 15–64 have disability

49% of males and 50% of females aged 65 and over have disability (ABS 2019b).

But when looked at by level of disability, differences can be seen among children and people in older age groups:

6.0% of males and 3.0% of females aged 0–14 have severe or profound disability

3.6% of males and 3.3% of females aged 15–24 have severe or profound disability

3.2% of males and females aged 15–64 have severe or profound disability

15% of males and 20% of females aged 65 and over have severe or profound disability (ABS 2019b).

The Australian population is ageing, with 16% of the population aged 65 and over (Figure PREVALENCE.2). Half (50%) of people aged 65 and over have disability. The increased prevalence in disability with age (Figure PREVALENCE.1), combined with the ageing population, leads to a large proportion (44%) of people with disability in Australia who are aged 65 and over (ABS 2019b).

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I think that more women than men would report on their disability, as research has shown that due to stigmatisation, men are less likely to report physical or psychological health issues compared to women (Lee et al., 2021). However, macro-level societal gender inequality has been shown to be significantly associated with higher rates of disability in women compared to men (Lee et al., 2021). This indicates that there are differential health-related behaviours between men and women as a result fo inequalities in power and resources to health care.

# data[].attributes.subject
I think that more women than men would report on their disability, as research has shown that due to stigmatisation, men are less likely to report physical or psychological health issues compared to women (Lee et al., 2021). However, macro-level societal gender inequality has been shown to be significantly associated with higher rates of disability in women compared to men (Lee et al., 2021). This indicates that there are differential health-related behaviours between men and women as a result fo inequalities in power and resources to health care.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe that women are more likely to be more open when discussing their disability. The Australian Institute of Health and welfare (2020) indicates that 1 in 2 people with a disability are women. Women are often more open in discussion about oneself. I feel as though men would feel very stigmatized when speaking up about their disability and seeking help through the healthcare system. There are more often than not going to avoid a behavior or action if they believe they are going to be judged. Men may also believe that being disabiled could affect their masculinity and therefore reduce the need for them to seek healthcare support.

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Who is more likely to report having a disability?

# data[].attributes.subject
Who is more likely to report having a disability?

# data[].attributes.body
I think that women are more likely in comparison to men to report their disability as there is a stigma around men seeking help through the healthcare system. In particular, the idea of being masculine halts men from seeking help when they need it and disclosing their disability status.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe that women are more likely to report disability than men due to various factors, the most prominent being stigma and discrimination. It has been engrained in society that men must provide and be tough, therefore reporting an illness or disability could hinder their ability to fulfil this gender stereotype. The AIHW (2022) outlines the prevelance of men and women living with disabilities and each statistic varies between male and female populations at different ages. During childhood (0-14) the prevalance of disability is higher in male (6%) than female (3%). Compared to the over 65 year age bracket where the prevalence of disability is higher in female (20%) than male (15%). Could this potentially be due to under-reporting by males?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
People with disability in Australia, Prevalence of disability

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
People with disability in Australia brings together information from a range of national data sources to contribute to a greater understanding of disability in Australia. Some people with...

# data[].attributes.headline
Women were slightly more likely to report disability according to the aihw report (see infographic).  This could be related to a higher prevalence and severity of disability-defined illnesses in female populations such as osteoarthritis, with 1 in 10 Australian women diagnosed with this condition and suffering more severe symptoms, compared to 1 in 16 men (Healthdirect, 2022).  https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/disability/people-with-disability-in-australia/contents/people-with-disability/prevalence-of-disabilityhttps://www.healthdirect.gov.au/osteoarthritis#:~:text=Women%20are%20more%20likely%20to,have%20previously%20injured%20a%20joint.

# data[].attributes.subject
Women were slightly more likely to report disability according to the aihw report (see infographic).  This could be related to a higher prevalence and severity of disability-defined illnesses in female populations such as osteoarthritis, with 1 in 10 Australian women diagnosed with this condition and suffering more severe symptoms, compared to 1 in 16 men (Healthdirect, 2022).  https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/disability/people-with-disability-in-australia/contents/people-with-disability/prevalence-of-disabilityhttps://www.healthdirect.gov.au/osteoarthritis#:~:text=Women%20are%20more%20likely%20to,have%20previously%20injured%20a%20joint.

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Gender Report Difference in regards to Disabilities

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Gender Report Difference in regards to Disabilities

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I believe men do not self-report their 'disability' as much as women as there is a high stigma placed upon men's health. However, after some research within the NDIS (2019), it has been shown that 62% of NDIS participants were men compared to 37% female participants. This is because developmental delays and autism (a common disability) are more prevalent amongst younger men when compared to women.

# data[].attributes.headline
Who is more likely to report a disability? Why?

# data[].attributes.subject
Who is more likely to report a disability? Why?

# data[].attributes.body
I believe that women are more likely to report a disability based upon help seeking barriers experienced men such as stigma, stereotypes and finances. This is demonstrated within a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2019), stating that throughout 2018-2019, 1 in 25 compared to 1 in 40 delayed visiting or did not see the doctor due finances.

Reference
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2019). The health of Australia's females. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Retrieved September 7, 2022 from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/men-women/female-health/contents/how-does-the-health-of-females-and-males-compare

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Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

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In 2018, just over half of Australia's population-51% or 12.6 million people-were female. On average, Australian females experience different health outcomes than Australian males. Compared with males, females have a higher life expectancy and experienced more of their total disease burden due to living with disease rather than from dying early from disease and injury. They are more likely than males to experience sexual violence and to have multiple chronic conditions.

To learn more about the health outcomes of males, see The health of Australia's males.

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The health of Australia's females, How does the health of females and males compare? - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In 2018, just over half of Australia's population-51% or 12.6 million people-were female. On average, Australian females experience different health outcomes than Australian males. Compared with males, females have a higher life expectancy and experienced more of their total disease burden due to living with disease rather than from dying early from disease and injury.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe that women are more likely to report disability than men based on the stereotype that women seem to seek more medical attention than males.
When looking at statistics, I found that prevalence of disability was very similar between males and females. In 2018, prevalence of disability for females was 17.8%, and males 17.6%. Perhaps an ageing population is more likely to equally report disability, or an individual is more likely to report when a close family member has also reported.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

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People with disability in Australia brings together information from a range of national data sources to contribute to a greater understanding about disability in Australia. Some people with disability face challenges routinely and actively participating in everyday life areas (such as employment) and are more likely to experience poor health, discrimination and violence than those without disability.

Highlights from this report are presented in People with disability in Australia 2020: in brief.

Prevalence of disability

1 in 6

(18%) people in Australia have disability (about 4.4 million people)

1 in 3

(32%) people with disability have severe or profound disability (about 1.4 million)

For 1 in 4

(23%) people with disability, their main form of disability is mental or behavioural

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Please enable JavaScript to use this website as intended.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
People with disability in Australia, Prevalence of disability - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
People with disability in Australia brings together information from a range of national data sources to contribute to a greater understanding about disability in Australia. Some people with disability face challenges routinely and actively participating in everyday life areas (such as employment) and are more likely to experience poor health, discrimination and violence than those without disability.

# data[].attributes.headline
Men or Women more likely to report disability?

# data[].attributes.subject
Men or Women more likely to report disability?

# data[].attributes.body
From personal experience, I think men seem less likely to report disability due to stigma associated with being a disabled male. Men may see being disabled as affecting their ability to be masculine which could affect their mental health. However, it can also go both ways.

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According to AIHW (2022), while the likelihood of acquiring a disability increases with age, there is little difference between males and females in the likelihood of experiencing a disability.
However, when examining the severity of disability, there is difference between males and females with AIHW (2022) stating that males had a higher rate of severe disability in the age group of 0-14 years with males at 6% and females at 3%, and females had a higher incidence of severe disability in the age group of 65+ years with females 20% to males 15%.
In my personal experience, men are less likely to report disability due to perpetuated and ongoing stereotypes, fear of loss of income, and previous role modelling. According to Schlichthorst et al. (2016), men are more likely to seek medical attention for acute injury or illness, but are less likely to routinely visit a GP for health screening than women. Observing my own family members, and others that I know in the community, this is the general pattern of health care access that I have commonly noticed, and I am also aware of government initiatives to drive change in this area such as the free health screens for people aged over 45. With this in mind, I would say that women are currently more likely than men to report disability, but that initiatives are working hard to close this gap.

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/disability/people-with-disability-in-australia/contents/people-with-disability/prevalence-of-disability#Sex

Schlichthorst, M., Sanci, L.A., Pirkis, J., Spittal, M.J, & Hocking, J.S. (2016). Why do men go to the doctor? Socio-demographic and lifestyle factors associated with healthcare utilisation among a cohort of Australian men. BMC Public Health 16 (Suppl 3), 1028. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3706-5

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

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People with disability in Australia brings together information from a range of national data sources to contribute to a greater understanding about disability in Australia. Some people with disability face challenges routinely and actively participating in everyday life areas (such as employment) and are more likely to experience poor health, discrimination and violence than those without disability.

Highlights from this report are presented in People with disability in Australia 2020: in brief.

Prevalence of disability

1 in 6

(18%) people in Australia have disability (about 4.4 million people)

1 in 3

(32%) people with disability have severe or profound disability (about 1.4 million)

For 1 in 4

(23%) people with disability, their main form of disability is mental or behavioural

Feedback
This website needs JavaScript enabled in order to work correctly; currently it looks like it is disabled.
Please enable JavaScript to use this website as intended.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
People with disability in Australia, Prevalence of disability - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
People with disability in Australia brings together information from a range of national data sources to contribute to a greater understanding about disability in Australia. Some people with disability face challenges routinely and actively participating in everyday life areas (such as employment) and are more likely to experience poor health, discrimination and violence than those without disability.

# data[].attributes.body
According to the AIHW (2020), there is not much variance in the prevalence of reported disability when comparing sexes during adolescence/adulthood. However, 15% of males compared to 20% of females report severe or profound disabilities when aged 65+. This discrepancy could be due to men underreporting their disability due to stigma.

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In 2018, disability prevalence was similar for males (17.6%) and females (17.8%). The rate of disability generally increased with age for both males and females. 3.7% of 0-4 year olds had disability, increasing to 84.6% of those aged 90 years and over. Interestingly, the largest difference between males and females was for children aged 5-14years (12.0% of boys with disability compared with 7.1% of girls).

Reference:
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2019).

Disability, ageing and carers, Australia: Summary of findings. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/disability/disability-ageing-and-carers-australia-summary-findings/latest-release#key-statistics

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11/06/2021 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) to present analysis of disability prevalence among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within the scope of the survey. Commentary includes analysis of severity and type of disability, assistance needed and received due to disability, education, employment, income, and discrimination. Along with the commentary, this release includes a data cube.

28/09/20 - Psychosocial disability: the psychological disability data cube on the data downloads page of the Psychosocial disability article was updated to include an additional footnote (Tables 5 and 6), and to correct an error in the data (Table 5 row 13).

25/09/2020-Psychosocial disability: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) to present analysis on the prevalence of psychosocial disability in Australia including information around demographic characteristics, need for and receipt of assistance, education, employment, income and experience of discrimination. Along with the commentary, this release includes two data cubes - one containing psychosocial disability data and the other psychological disability data (for time series purposes).

10/09/2020 Small area estimates: Two data cubes containing modelled small area estimates for persons with disability and carers by age and sex for Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) of usual residence and Local Government Areas have been added to the Data downloads section. A section in the Methodology has also been added, providing summary information about how these small area estimates were modelled. For full details email disability.statistics@abs.gov.au for a copy of the 2018 SDAC Small Area Estimates Explanatory Notes PDF.

31/07/2020 - Dementia: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), to present an analysis on people living with dementia in Australia. Commentary includes analysis of prevalence and severity of dementia, and assistance needed and received for dementia. Along with the commentary, this release includes a data cube.

24/07/2020 - Disability and the Labour Force: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), to present an analysis on labour force participation of people with disability. Commentary includes participation by disability severity and group, employment restrictions and experiences of discrimination in the workplace. Along with the commentary, this release includes a data cube.

21/07/2020 - Use of technology by people with disability, older people and primary carers: This article uses 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) data to present analysis of the use of information technology by these three groups, including use of the Internet, SMS/text message, email and social networking/chat rooms, as well as reasons they were not used. Along with the commentary, this release includes a data cube which is available from the Data downloads section.

05/02/2020 - State and Territory data cubes are available from the Data downloads section.

10/12/2019 - Children with Disability: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), to present an analysis on children with disability including the prevalence of disability among children aged 0-14 years, and the types of disability most common among children. Along with the analysis, this release includes a data cube which is available from the Data downloads section.

29/11/2019 - Autism in Australia: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), to present an updated analysis of the prevalence of autism in Australia, and the impact the condition has on those living with Autism. Along with the analysis, this release includes a data cube which is available from the Data downloads section.

04/11/2019 - The Data Item List has been replaced to correct a column label in the 'Transport - Private' tab. A link in the Quality Declaration has been updated.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2018

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11/06/2021 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) to present analysis of disability prevalence among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within the scope of the survey.

# data[].attributes.headline
Differences between gender for disability 

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Differences between gender for disability 

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I believe women are generally more likely to report disability than men due to my own personal experience. In my own experience I have found that women around me are more likely to seek advice or help regarding their health than men are. In saying this I believe the difference would not be overly significant in who is reporting disability but this difference may be more prevalent in seeking help from health professionals early on or for what may be viewed as a minor problem.

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Do you think men or women were more frequent reporters of a disability? Why? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Do you think men or women were more frequent reporters of a disability? Why? 

# data[].attributes.body
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2022). The number of males to females are fairly similar in PREVALENCE. 1 Figure in with 17.6% for Males and 17.8% for Females (AIHW, 2022, Pg. 23). In the younger childhood under 14 years of age it appears that Males are slightly higher rates of reporting of disability according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report (2022). After 14 years of age Male report drops off in the teenage years this maybe due to fear of admitting to social group of peers. With Females numbers slightly increase in this time period (AIHW, 2022). This report leads me to believe that women are possible more likely at reporting disability then males as women possible not seeing reporting a disability as a weakness?
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/disability/people-with-disability-in-australia/contents/people-with-disability/prevalence-of-disability

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
People with disability in Australia, Prevalence of disability

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
People with disability in Australia brings together information from a range of national data sources to contribute to a greater understanding of disability in Australia. Some people with...

# data[].attributes.headline
Gender Differences in the reporting of disability.

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Gender Differences in the reporting of disability.

# data[].attributes.body
The Australian Bureu of Statistics (2019) reports that:

Between the ages of 0 and 14, 9.5% of males and 5.7% of females are reported to have a disability.

Between the ages of 15 and 24, 9.2% of males and 9.5% of females are reported to have a disability.

Between the ages of 25 and 64, 13% of both males and females are reported to have a disability.

And of people aged 65+, 49% of males and 50% of females are reported to have a disability.

From this data it can be seen that males are the more frequent reporters of disability due to the amount reported between the ages of 0 and 14, and the similarities in reporting for the other age groups.

# data[].attributes.headline
Do you think men or women were more frequent reporters of a disability? Why?

# data[].attributes.subject
Do you think men or women were more frequent reporters of a disability? Why?

# data[].attributes.body
I think women would be more frequent reporters of diabilities. From my experience and through those i interacted with commonly, men dont like to talk about things (mental health, pains, disability) for various reasons. Generally speaking, women tend to be more open with those kinds of things whereas men tend to hide it

# data[].attributes.headline
Gender differences in reporting disability. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Gender differences in reporting disability. 

# data[].attributes.body
I think that women are more likely to report having a disability compared to men.

Historically, people with disabilities are subject to unjust and falsely based stigma. Subsequently, men may be less willing to accept assistance with core activities.

In line with this assumption, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS, 2022) reported that females are more likely to indicate that they require assistance compared to males (6.1 per cent and 5.5 per cent respectively).

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2022). Disability and carers: Census. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/disability/disability-and-carers-census/2021

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A study conducted using data from The World Health Survey (WHS) found that the prevalence of disability (age range 50+) for women was 40.1%, compared to  men where the prevalence was 23.8%.

Hosseinpoor, A.R., Stewart Williams, J., Jann, B. et al. Social determinants of sex differences in disability among older adults: a multi-country decomposition analysis using the World Health Survey. Int J Equity Health 11, 52 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-9276-11-52

Further reading seemed to support that in the older age group at least, gender inequality leads to increased onset of disability in women.

Jinkook Lee, PhD, Erik Meijer, PhD, Drystan Phillips, MA, Peifeng Hu, MD, PhD, Disability Incidence Rates for Men and Women in 23 Countries: Evidence on Health Effects of Gender Inequality, The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 76, Issue 2, February 2021, Pages 328–338, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaa288

The ABS however, reports similar levels of disability in the population in its entirety - 17.6% for males and 17.8% for females. This suggests to me that perhaps the differences mentioned above are skewed by age and not representative of the general population.

https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/disability/disability-ageing-and-carers-australia-summary-findings/latest-release

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
11/06/2021 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) to present analysis of disability prevalence among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within the scope of the survey. Commentary includes analysis of severity and type of disability, assistance needed and received due to disability, education, employment, income, and discrimination. Along with the commentary, this release includes a data cube.

28/09/20 - Psychosocial disability: the psychological disability data cube on the data downloads page of the Psychosocial disability article was updated to include an additional footnote (Tables 5 and 6), and to correct an error in the data (Table 5 row 13).

25/09/2020-Psychosocial disability: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) to present analysis on the prevalence of psychosocial disability in Australia including information around demographic characteristics, need for and receipt of assistance, education, employment, income and experience of discrimination. Along with the commentary, this release includes two data cubes - one containing psychosocial disability data and the other psychological disability data (for time series purposes).

10/09/2020 Small area estimates: Two data cubes containing modelled small area estimates for persons with disability and carers by age and sex for Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) of usual residence and Local Government Areas have been added to the Data downloads section. A section in the Methodology has also been added, providing summary information about how these small area estimates were modelled. For full details email disability.statistics@abs.gov.au for a copy of the 2018 SDAC Small Area Estimates Explanatory Notes PDF.

31/07/2020 - Dementia: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), to present an analysis on people living with dementia in Australia. Commentary includes analysis of prevalence and severity of dementia, and assistance needed and received for dementia. Along with the commentary, this release includes a data cube.

24/07/2020 - Disability and the Labour Force: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), to present an analysis on labour force participation of people with disability. Commentary includes participation by disability severity and group, employment restrictions and experiences of discrimination in the workplace. Along with the commentary, this release includes a data cube.

21/07/2020 - Use of technology by people with disability, older people and primary carers: This article uses 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) data to present analysis of the use of information technology by these three groups, including use of the Internet, SMS/text message, email and social networking/chat rooms, as well as reasons they were not used. Along with the commentary, this release includes a data cube which is available from the Data downloads section.

05/02/2020 - State and Territory data cubes are available from the Data downloads section.

10/12/2019 - Children with Disability: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), to present an analysis on children with disability including the prevalence of disability among children aged 0-14 years, and the types of disability most common among children. Along with the analysis, this release includes a data cube which is available from the Data downloads section.

29/11/2019 - Autism in Australia: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), to present an updated analysis of the prevalence of autism in Australia, and the impact the condition has on those living with Autism. Along with the analysis, this release includes a data cube which is available from the Data downloads section.

04/11/2019 - The Data Item List has been replaced to correct a column label in the 'Transport - Private' tab. A link in the Quality Declaration has been updated.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2018

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
11/06/2021 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability: This article uses results from the 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) to present analysis of disability prevalence among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within the scope of the survey.

# data[].attributes.body
Before reading up, I guessed that all people report equally and that it depends more on personality than gender identification. I would be confident in saying that who the disability is being reported to must have a strong influence. Would you feel the same disclosing your chronic anxiety and depression to Services Australia as you would to the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army? One Australian article found that "When people with a disability were asked, in the 2013 APS Employee Census, if they had disclosed their disability to their department or agency, a greater percentage of women (56%) than men (49%) with a disability had disclosed" (Gray, 2020, p. 4). This single report doesn't show a strong relationship between gender identification and disability disclosure in 2013. My hunch around the decision to report being personality driven is supported by Heather D. Evans' who wrote "Deciding whether – or to what degree – to disclose impairment is a decision to expose oneself to the scrutiny and/or judgment of others based on a stigmatized status. Understanding disability as a social construction means that decisions to disclose are in and of themselves constitutive moments of identity formation" (Evans, 2019, p. 731-732).
Gray. (2020). Disclosure of disability in the Australian Public Service: What the statistics tell us. Australian Journal of Career Development, 29(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/1038416219843620
Evans. (2019). 'Trial by fire': forms of impairment disclosure and implications for disability identity. Disability & Society, 34(5), 726–746. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2019.1580187
Did anyone else find more data on gender identification and disability disclosure? Was there more than %7 difference between men and women?

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Do you think men or women were more frequent reporters of a disability? Why?

Women reported a slightly higher overall rate of disability at 51% .
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/disability/people-with-disability-in-australia-2020-in-brief/contents/how-many-people-have-disability

However this wasn't reflected in all age groups.

Males had a higher rate in the 0-14 year age group.

9.5% of males and 5.7% of females aged 0–14 years have disability.

An equal rate of disability was recorded for the 15–64 year age group

13% of males and females have disability

Why?
The difference between overall rates in men and women wouldnt be statistically significant. Higher rates of disability are reported as people age and women have a longer life expectancy so this slight discrepancy is most likely would  a reflection of the direct correlation between those two factors.

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Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

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More than 4 million people in Australia have disability, or around 18% of the population (2018). This is also known as the prevalence of disability.

People with disability are diverse-having different types and levels of disability, coming from all demographic and socioeconomic groups, and having varying needs for assistance. For example, of people with disability:

1 in 4 (23%) have a mental or behavioural disorder as their main condition, including:

6.5% with intellectual and developmental disorders (including autism)

3.8% with mood affective disorders, such as depression

2.7% with dementia or Alzheimer disease

1 in 3 (32%) have severe or profound disability

1 in 3 (30%) need help with health care

1 in 4 (27%) need help with property maintenance

1 in 4 (23%) need help with household chores

1 in 2 (48%) aged 5 and over have a schooling or employment restriction (2018).

The prevalence of disability increases with age. Around 1 in 8 (12%) people aged under 65 have some level of disability, rising to 1 in 2 (50%) for those aged 65 and over. This means that the longer we live, the more likely we are to experience some form of disability.

The disability-free life expectancy of people in Australia (that is, the estimated number of years people can expect to live without disability) is increasing over time.

Sex

Overall life expectancy of people born in 2018

Expected years of life without disability

Expected years of life with disability

Males

81 years

64 years

17 years

Females

85 years

66 years

19 years

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People with disability in Australia 2020: in brief, How many people have disability? - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

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More than 4 million people in Australia have disability, or around 18% of the population (2018). This is also known as the prevalence of disability. People with disability are diverse-having different types and levels of disability, coming from all demographic and socioeconomic groups, and having varying needs for assistance.

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My initial thought is that more males would be living with disability than females. Historically females have been underrepresented in the medical community, and there are many conditions where they experience greater resistance to diagnosis of certain conditions (ADHD and autism, as an example).

That said, from experience, women tend to be more proactive with their health and are more likely to see their GP/medical specialists about any concerns or routine check ups. Because of this, it is possible that more males have undiagnosed conditions than females.

To the numbers, according to the ABS, disability prevalence was similar for males (17.6%) and females (17.8%) - somewhat surprising.

Reference: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/disability/disability-ageing-and-carers-australia-summary-findings/latest-release

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Four million people in Australia (18.5%) were reported as having a disability in 2009, with males and females being reported as having similar overall rates of disability (18% and 17% respectively). For 5 to 14 year olds, rates of disability and rates of profound or severe core activity limitation for males were 11% and 7% respectively, close to double those for females in the same age group (6% and 3% respectively).

Disability is defined as any limitation, restriction or impairment which restricts everyday activities and has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least six months. Of these everyday activities, being able to care for oneself (self care), being mobile (mobility) and being able to communicate with others (communication) are regarded as essential everyday tasks and are therefore called core activities. People classified as having a profound or severe core activity limitation are those who require help some or all of the time with at least one of these core activities.

Disability can occur at any stage of a person's life and, depending on when it occurs, may affect an individual's participation in a range of everyday activities.

DISABILITY PREVALENCE

The age standardised disability rate in 2009 was 18.1% for males compared to 17.3% for females. The age standardised disability rates have fallen by two percentage points since 2003 for both males and females (down from 20.4% and 19.1% respectively). Much of the decrease in the prevalence of disability during this period, for both males and females, has been due to the decline in the proportion of people disabled by physical health conditions, such as asthma and heart disease. (Endnote 1)

PROFOUND OR SEVERE CORE ACTIVITY LIMITATION

The age standardised rate of profound or severe core activity limitation in 2009 was much the same for males (5.3%) and females (5.7%). These rates declined from 5.8% for males and 6.5% females in 2003.
Disability by age
The prevalence of disability is strongly correlated with age, with rates of disability increasing to 90% for males and 88% for females aged 90 years and over in 2009. There are not many differences between the proportion of males and females reporting disability across age groups in 2009, except for the 5-14 year age group, where the proportion of males reporting disability (11%) was almost double the proportion of females in that age group (6%). As with disability prevalence, the proportion of people reporting profound or severe core activity limitation generally also increased with age.

While the prevalence of disability has decreased from 2003 to 2009 for both males and females, the decrease was particularly noticeable in some age groups. In 2003, 9% of both males and females reported disability in the 15-24 year age group, whereas in 2009 the proportions fell to 7%. Similarly, 22% of both males and females reported disability in the 45-54 year age group in 2003, compared with 17% of males and 19% of females in the same age group in 2009.

The proportions of females reporting profound or severe core activity limitation also declined across all age groups between 2003 and 2009. For males during this period, the proportions with profound or severe core activity limitation declined in most age groups, and there were no age groups with statistically significant increases.

Disability prevalence among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

In 2008, the age standardised disability rate for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males and females aged 15 years and over and living in non-remote areas only was nearly 60%, which was higher than that for the total Australian population (nearly 20%). The age standardised rate of profound or severe core activity limitation for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males and females aged 15 years and over (living in non-remote areas) was also higher (10% for both males and females) than that of the total Australian population ( 5% for males and 6% for females).

As with the total Australian population, prevalence of disability increases with age for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in non-remote areas.

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010, Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2009 (cat. no 4430.0), < www.abs.gov.au>.
HEALTH LINKS

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4125.0 - Gender Indicators, Australia, Jan 2013

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Four million people in Australia (18.5%) were reported as having a disability in 2009, with males and females being reported as having similar overall rates of disability (18% and 17% respectively).

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According to this website, overall, the likelihood of experiencing disability varies by age but does not vary much by sex after childhood (Figure PREVALENCE.1):

9.5% of males and 5.7% of females aged 0–14 years have disability

9.2% of males and 9.5% of females aged 15–24 years have disability

13% of males and females aged 15–64 years have disability

49% of males and 50% of females aged 65 years and over have disability (ABS 2019b).

But when looked at by level of disability, differences can be seen among children and people in older age groups:

6.0% of males and 3.0% of females aged 0–14 years have severe or profound disability

3.6% of males and 3.3% of females aged 15–24 years have severe or profound disability

3.2% of males and females aged 15–64 years have severe or profound disability

15% of males and 20% of females aged 65 years and over have severe or profound disability (ABS 2019b). From these data, it is easier to show that rate of females with disability in Australia higher than males. Therefore, I think that females more frequent like to report their disability than males because males always consider their reputation.         https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/disability/people-with-disability-in-australia/contents/people-with-disability/prevalence-of-disability

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Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

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People with disability in Australia, Prevalence of disability

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People with disability in Australia brings together information from a range of national data sources to contribute to a greater understanding of disability in Australia. Some people with...

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Gender differences in reporting disability 

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Gender differences in reporting disability 

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I believe that women are more likely to report disability as they are more likely to seek medical attention than men. Additionally, I feel as though gender discrimination towards men regarding expressing their health issues contributes to the differences in the reporting frequency.

According to the AIHW, 1 in 25 females and 1 in 40 males delayed, or did not see a GP due to financial reasons. This shows a possible difference between males and females and their thoughts of the importance of seeing a GP in times of health difficulties.

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/men-women/female-health/contents/how-does-the-health-of-females-and-males-compare

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Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

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In 2018, just over half of Australia's population-51% or 12.6 million people-were female. On average, Australian females experience different health outcomes than Australian males. Compared with males, females have a higher life expectancy and experienced more of their total disease burden due to living with disease rather than from dying early from disease and injury. They are more likely than males to experience sexual violence and to have multiple chronic conditions.

To learn more about the health outcomes of males, see The health of Australia's males.

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The health of Australia's females, How does the health of females and males compare? - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

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In 2018, just over half of Australia's population-51% or 12.6 million people-were female. On average, Australian females experience different health outcomes than Australian males. Compared with males, females have a higher life expectancy and experienced more of their total disease burden due to living with disease rather than from dying early from disease and injury.

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Of 4.4 million Australians living with disability, there is a slightly prevalence among females (17.8%) rather males (17.6%). The prevalence of disability in females is pointed out as being the gender at higher risk of discrimination and sexual violence. According to WHO (2010) gender plays and important role as determinant of health due to gender inequality and its effects on mental health suffered by females rather than males. One example is reported by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2019), where females showed delayed seeing or did not see a General Practitioner when they needed because of economical reason at least once in 12 months in the period 2018 to 2019.

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Historically there has been disparities on how men and women are treated by the medical community. Even today women can still be under represented in medical studies. Hence this would mean that there are inherent biases in the medical system that some studies suggest women are under diagnosed, mis-diagnosed or not diagnosed at all.

I find it interesting that there is a lot of research that states that women are taken less seriously when reporting pain to medical professionals than men. This systemic problem could be a factor to why women represent a larger portion of the disability fraction in older age. I have linked one article on this subject.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200008243430809

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1-800-843-6356 | [email protected]

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According to the 2020 AIWA statistics the prevalence of disability is surprisingly similar between both females and males. In my opinion females are more likely to report a disability as they are more likely to seek medical help when issues arise and therefore be diagnosed. Females tend to discuss health issues more openly with friends, colleagues and family members and therefore have a greater awareness around their health. On the other hand males are less likely to seek support as they suppress their feelings or issues due to the social stigma that comes with opening up. So I definitely feel the prevalence of disability amongst males could be higher than what is actually reported.

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Although the statistics around disability by sex show similar values/data, I believe women are more likely to report a disability than men. This is due to the profound and lingering social stigma surrounding men seeking help. The gender stereotype that men must display tough demeanours and masculinity feeds into this dilemma.
Statistics show us that women are more likely to seek professional help, medical advice, or use services provided comparing to men, which means men may have more underreporting of certain disabilities and conditions.

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Social Stigma... but also, vulnerability and abuse

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Social Stigma... but also, vulnerability and abuse

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I think that women would be more likely to self-report as having a disability than men, due to the social stigma around disability.
Men may not self-report disability due to a fear of being seen as "weak" or "less than". Still in today's society men are expected to be strong, capable, and to "take care" of those weaker or more vulnerable than them. Self-reporting as having a disability would therefore mean they do not fit this stereotyped gender role.
However, I believe that women may also be reluctant to report they have a disability (maybe not on a survey, but more so in a public forum) due to a fear of making themselves appear more vulnerable than they already are as women in society. Evidence shows that women with disabilities are more likely to be abused than men with disabilities.

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My personal experience and observations have led me to believe that women are generally more likely than men to visit their GP. A statistic confirmed by the ABS (2021) with 87.2% of females visiting their GP compared to 77.4% males. A study focusing on GP consultations in males outlined in the AFP (2016), further identifies that males, 40 years and younger are less likely to visit their GP than females. So, it would be reasonable to surmise that this could be true in relation to reporting disability. A rationale for this may be that men could be more complacent than women when it comes to managing their health conditions, or perhaps they feel less comfortable than women in sharing their health concerns with GP’s, preferring to focus on other priorities such as work, family or friendships. One consideration is the stereotypical persona of an Australian male as strong and resilient and less likely to seek health care services.
References:
https://abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-services/patient-experiences-australia-summary-findings/latest-release
Britt.H.,Valenti.L.,Bayram.C. (2016). General practice encounters with men. Australian Family Physician, Vol. 45 (4), https://racgp.org.au/afp/2016/april/general-practice-encounters-with-men.

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I think that more women than men would report on their disability, as research has shown that due to stigmatisation, men are less likely to report physical or psychological health issues compared to women (Lee et al., 2021). However, macro-level societal gender inequality has been shown to be significantly associated with higher rates of disability in women compared to men (Lee et al., 2021). This indicates that there are differential health-related behaviours between men and women as a result fo inequalities in power and resources to health care.

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Just based on anecdotal experience, the women around me are more likely to seek medical attention when they feel something is wrong, compared to men. There still seems to be a stigma for men to talk about their health issues, even with each other. There is still that stereotypical idea that men need unwaveringly stoic and strong.

The AIHW (2019), reported 1 in 25 women delayed or did not see a GP, compared to 1 in 40 men. Albeit, this was reportedly due to cost reasons, but it shows potentially the different gender perspectives on the value of seeing a health professional.

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/men-women/female-health/contents/how-does-the-health-of-females-and-males-compare

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Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

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In 2018, just over half of Australia's population-51% or 12.6 million people-were female. On average, Australian females experience different health outcomes than Australian males. Compared with males, females have a higher life expectancy and experienced more of their total disease burden due to living with disease rather than from dying early from disease and injury. They are more likely than males to experience sexual violence and to have multiple chronic conditions.

To learn more about the health outcomes of males, see The health of Australia's males.

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The health of Australia's females, How does the health of females and males compare? - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

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In 2018, just over half of Australia's population-51% or 12.6 million people-were female. On average, Australian females experience different health outcomes than Australian males. Compared with males, females have a higher life expectancy and experienced more of their total disease burden due to living with disease rather than from dying early from disease and injury.

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The AIHW (2020) report suggests prevalence of disability is similar in males and females, with the reporting of disability slightly higher in females. I think this may be due to the fact females are more likely to visit a GP and discuss health concerns compared to males, and hence would have a better indication of their health status.

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Who is more likely to report a disability?

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Who is more likely to report a disability?

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I personally believe that women are more likely to report a disability due to the gender stereotypes and the discrimination which men are more likely to face. Moreover, men are usually suppressed from to open up about how they are feeling which may cause them to not report their disability so they would not be judged by the society or lose their employment (one of the biggest factors reported by ABS (2020).
References :
ABS. (2020). Gender Indicators. Gender Indicators, Australia, 2020 | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au). Accessed on August 11, 2021.

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Indicators to aid exploration of economic and social differences between women and men over time, using data from ABS and other official sources

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I think men could have more because I believe of the two genders, they are less likely to visit the GP for health concerns

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Who is more likely to self - report a disability, men or women?

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Who is more likely to self - report a disability, men or women?

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My initial thoughts are women would be more likely, as they go to the GP more frequently than men, (Australian women visited a GP on average nearly seven times a year in 2013-14. For men, this figure was just under five times. Among those between 15 and 24, 83% of women – but only 68% of men – saw a GP at least once in any given year.)  and are open to receiving help assistance.  Culturally, Australian men are seen as 'being tough' and not asking for help, particularly regional Australians, as services are limited and not geographically convenient, in addition to the reality of discrimination from workplaces, retail, social settings etc, As reported by the Australian Network on Disability.
https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/voices/health/article/2016/02/08/why-women-see-their-gp-more-men#:~:text=Women%20go%20to%20the%20doctor,of%20gynaecological%20and%20reproductive%20issues.