Education and Health Behaviour of Indigenous Australians: Evidence from the 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey (NATSIS)

Abstract

Strong relationships between education and health outcomes have been identified in most countries of the world, with children of more educated parents having more favourable health and a better chance of survival. However, there has been little research on this relationship among Indigenous peoples living as minorities in First World countries. This paper reports on an analysis of data from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey of 15,700 people conducted in Australia in 1994. The analysis focused on the actions that the respondents reported they had taken concerning their children's health. After controlling for the effects of reported health conditions and health status on people's health behaviour, we examined whether any significant relationship remains between education and health behaviour.