The health burden of preventable disease in Australia: a systematic review

Objective: A systematic review was conducted to determine the health burden of preventable disease in Australia. Methods: The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement guidelines were followed to identify, screen and describe the protocols used in the systematic review. Results: Eleven studies were included in the review. Data on the health burden associated with lifestyle-related risk factors were extracted by disease with outcomes reported in attributable number and proportion of deaths, years of life lost, years lived with disability and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Around one-third of DALYs was attributed to all modifiable risk factors. The range of estimates of DALYs attributable to each prioritised risk factor was: combined dietary risk factors, 7.2% to 9.7%; tobacco, 7.9% to 9.0%; alcohol, 5.1% to 12.2%; high body mass, 5.5% to 8.3%; and physical inactivity, 1.2% to 5.5%. Conclusions: Although the methods used to estimate preventable health burden varied greatly between studies, all found that a substantial amount of death and disability was attributable to lifestyle-related risk factors. Implications for public health: There is a large health burden in Australia caused by modifiable risk factors and further action is warranted to address this burden.