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Genetics

Genetic History

A comparison between Aboriginal Australian, European, and Asian genomes indicated that Aboriginals are more closely related to Asians than they are to Europeans. The comparison also showed that Europeans are significantly more similar genetically to Asians than they are to Aboriginal Australians, indicating an extended period of Aboriginal genetic isolation.

Blood samples collected from members of the Walbiri tribe of the Northern Territories were used to study the genetic makeup of the Walbiri in particular and Aboriginal Australians at large. The study concluded that the Walbiri are descended from ancient Asians whose DNA is still somewhat present in Southeastern Asian groups, but has been diminished greatly. The Walbiri also lack certain information found in modern Asian genomes, and carry information not found in other genomes, reinforcing the idea of ancient Aboriginal isolation.

Aboriginal Australians are genetically most similar to the indigenous populations of Papua New Guinea, and more distantly related to groups from East India. They are very distinct from the indigenous populations of Borneo and Malaysia, sharing relatively little genomic information with them as compared to the groups previously mentioned. This data indicates that Australia was isolated for a long time from the rest of Southeast Asia, and remained untouched by migrations and population expansions into that area.

Health

Aboriginal Australians have disproportionately high rates of severe physical disability, as much as three times that of non-Aboriginal Australians, possibly due to higher rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes and kidney disease. In a study which compared Aboriginal Australians to non-Aboriginal Australians, obesity and smoking rates were higher among Aboriginals, both of which are contributing factors or causes of serious health issues. The study also showed that Aboriginal Australians were more likely to self-report their health as "excellent/very good" in spite of extant severe physical limitations.

One study reports that Aboriginal Australians are affected by a large number of infectious diseases, particularly in rural areas. These diseases include strongyloidiasis, hookworm caused by Ancylostoma duodenale, scabies, and streptococcal infections. Because poverty is also prevalent in Aboriginal populations, the need for medical assistance is even greater in many Aboriginal Australian communities. The researchers suggested the use of mass drug administration (MDA) as a method of combating the diseases found commonly among Aboriginal peoples, while also highlighting the importance of "sanitation, access to clean water, good food, integrated vector control and management, childhood immunizations, and personal and family hygiene".

Another study, examining the psychosocial functioning of high risk exposed and low risk exposed Aboriginal Australians aged 12-17, found that in high risk youths, personal wellbeing was protected by a sense of solidarity and common low socioeconomic status. However, in low risk youths, perceptions of racism caused poor psychosocial functioning. The researchers suggested that factors such as racism, discrimination, and alienation contributed to physiological health risks in families belonging to ethnic minorities. The study also mentions the effect of poverty on Aboriginal populations- namely, higher morbidity and mortality rates.

Aboriginal Australians suffer from high rates of heart disease. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide and among Aboriginal Australians. Aboriginal people develop atrial fibrillation, a condition that sharply increases the risk of stroke, much earlier than non-Aboriginal Australians on average. The life expectancy for Aboriginal Australians is 10 years lower than non-Aboriginal Australians. Technologies such as the portable iECG device are being developed in order to screen at risk individuals, particularly rural Australians, for atrial fibrillation.

The incidence rate of cancer was lower in Aboriginal Australians than non-Aboriginal Australians from 2005-2009 However, some cancers, including lung cancer and liver cancer, were significantly more common in Aboriginal people. The overall mortality rate of Aboriginal Australians due to cancer was 1.3 times higher than non-Aboriginals in 2013. This may be because they are less likely to receive the necessary treatments in time, or because the cancers that they tend to develop are often more lethal than other cancers.

Tobacco Usage

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, a large number of Aboriginal Australians use tobacco, perhaps 41% of people aged 15 and up. This number has declined in recent years, but remains relatively high. The smoking rate is roughly equal for men and women across all age groups, but the smoking rate is much higher in rural areas than urban areas. The high prevalence of smoking exacerbates existing health problems such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. The Australian government has encouraged its citizens, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, to stop smoking and not to start at all, in order to prevent the health risks associated with tobacco.

Alcohol Usage

In the Northern Territory, the Australian state with the greatest proportion of Aboriginal Australians, per capita alcohol consumption for adults is 150% of the national average. Nearly half of Aboriginal adults in the Northern Territory reported alcohol usage, which may help to explain the high rate of unemployment for Aboriginal Australians. In addition to the inherent risks associated with alcohol use, its consumption also seems to lead to domestic violence. Aboriginal people account for 60% of the facial fracture victims in the Northern Territory, though they only constitute approximately 30% of the population of the state. Unemployment payments provided by the government are often used on alcohol, creating more economic and social problems. Due to the complex nature of the alcohol and domestic violence issue in the Northern Territory, proposed solutions are contentious. However, there has recently been an increase in media attention with regard to this problem, so change may come in the near future.

Diet

Modern Aboriginal Australians tend to have nutritionally poor diets, especially in rural areas where higher food costs drive people to consume cheaper, lower quality foods. The average diet contains too many refined carbohydrates and excessive salt, while lacking fruit and vegetables. However, there are a number of challenges inhibiting a transition to healthier diets for Aboriginal Australians, such as shorter shelf lives of fresh foods, resistance to changing existing consumption habits, and disagreements as how best to implement changes. Some suggest the use of taxes on unhealthy foods and beverages in order to limit their consumption, but their effectiveness is questionable. Subsidies for healthy foods has proven effective in other countries, but has yet to be proven useful for Aboriginal Australians specifically.