When it comes to lifestyle diversity, Sydney is a city hard to beat.
From pristine beaches to misty mountains and a seemingly endless range of fitness options, those seeking wellness may be hard-pressed to find something that doesn’t appeal to their preference.
But it has now been revealed residents’ health, and which illnesses they contract, may have more to do with their suburb than more deliberate daily habits.
And it’s not good news for those living on the Central Coast, with young people twice as likely to contract chlamydia than their city counterparts.
It has been revealed Sydney residents’ health, and which illnesses they contract, may have more to do with their suburb than more deliberate daily habits
While the sexually transmitted disease affects 15 to 24-year-olds at a rate of 977.8. per 100,000 in Sydney, this spikes to 1418.8 for those in the coastal region.
Meanwhile the ageing population in Sydney’s south-west can be largely held responsible for the heightened rate of dementia in the area, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Those over the age of 65 were hospitalised for the condition at a rate of 2014.5 per 100,000 people — almost twice the figure in Sydney’s north at 1165.2.
Comparatively, people living in the city’s south-western suburbs were more likely to die from diabetes, with the disease killing almost 700 people in the area during 2015.
Data from the NSW Ministry of Health also revealed respiratory conditions are rampant in Penrith and the Blue Mountains – affecting one in every 10 adults.
And according to Asthma Australia’s chief executive Michele Goldman it was environmental factors could be blamed for triggering the condition’s symptoms.
Figures suggest those in the western suburbs are more likely to develop asthma and young people on the Central Coast have a higher chance of contracting chlamydia
‘In areas with high exposure to common triggers for asthma, like pollen, dust, variations in weather, bushfire smoke and traffic pollution, we see higher incidences,’ she told the publication.
The revelations come 18 months after Melbourne became blanketed in a freak asthma-inducing thunderstorm.
Eight people died in the week following the event and another death from the weather event the following January brought the death toll to nine.
An additional 8,500 people were forced to seek hospital treatment when weather changed abruptly on November 21, and unprecedented thunderstorms swept across certain suburbs in the city.