Cole, Alexander (2025) Geographical Distribution and Impact of Cardiovascular Disease in Victoria, Australia. Research Master thesis, Victoria University.

Abstract

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the leading non-communicable disease in Australia. CVD effects up to 69% of the population. This makes CVD a major target for health interventions. The current understanding of CVD distribution and factors that affect distribution by geographical region is limited. In Australia CVD is important in regional and remote areas. These regions have significantly greater rates of CVD per capita but are less serviced by health policy implementation. Knowledge of CVD distribution and factors affecting distribution will facilitate better health policy implementation. This thesis examined Australian Bureau of Statistics census data and Australian Institute of Health and Well-being survey data on CVD prevalence, population distribution and barriers to health outcomes in the literature. CVD mortality has reduced by 50.7% since the 1960s. While mortality reduced the prevalence increased by 147.9%.This shows a shift in CVD health burden. More focus is needed in regional and remote areas where CVD is more prevalent. A shift in health policy implementation is the only way to over come the current barriers. Overcoming these barriers will address the disparity in healthcare outcomes between regional and remote areas in comparison to major cities. This is compounded by the different variables that affect morbidity and mortality by region. Variables include logistical problems, employment, sex, age, socioeconomic status, education, comorbidities, cultural factors, and hypertension. As these variables individually and collectively effect health outcomes they must be considered in any treatment of CVD and development of policy. This difference in prevalence, mortality and morbidity has been recognised with new recommendations and guidelines from national cardiology bodies. Much of the focus has been on the difference in signs, symptoms and treatment of CVD between the two sexes. The outcomes from different medications, recommended behavioural changes and application of self management are significant. The effective implementation of these variables can and does alter the health outcomes and inequities observed in this thesis. This group of factors leaves much room for improvement in how the current CVD policies are implemented to improve health outcomes and inequality by region.

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