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As many as half of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 45 are dying from smoking-related illness, a new study has found, as experts concede it is a bigger problem than previously thought.
About 37 per cent of all deaths among the Indigenous Australian population are caused by smoking, according to the study, which was led by researchers at the Australian National University.
The study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology on Monday, is the first of its kind to provide data specific to the Indigenous population.
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Researchers followed 1,388 people - including past and current smokers and those who had never smoked - over 10 years and tracked their health outcomes.
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Smoking kills one in two older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, a study has found, and experts are calling for more funding to boost culturally appropriate smoking cessation services.
The report from the Australian National University found smoking caused 37 per cent of deaths at any age in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, but that increased to about half of deaths in those aged over 45.
Research has found the rate of smoking-related death in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults is more than one in three.
Credit:James Alcock
Using data from 1388 people over 10 years, it also found those who never smoked lived 10 more years than those who smoked.
Smoking-related illnesses cause half of all deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples over the age of 45, accounting for 10,000 premature preventable deaths in the past decade alone, a new study has found. On average, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who smoked died 10 years earlier than non-smokers. The study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology on Monday, is the first population-specific study to.