One in four women born between 1973 and 1978 were impacted by smoke exposure or poor air quality over the 2018-22 bushfire seasons, according to new data collected by University of Queensland and University of Newcastle researchers through the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH).
Professor Gita Mishra, Director of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health at UQ , said the newly available data provided a timely reminder that bushfire impacts weren’t limited to rural regions.
“The proportion of women surveyed who were trapped or forced to evacuate was higher in regional areas (5 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively) than metropolitan areas (1.9 per cent and 0.6 per cent),” Professor Mishra said.
“However, the proportion of women in major cities who experienced anxiety, breathing difficulties, eye and throat irritation, and headaches was actually similar to those inner and outer regional areas.”
The Australian Capital Territory was the hardest hit. Over 6 per cent of participants surveyed were forced to evacuate, 82 per cent experienced smoke exposure or poor air quality, 41 per cent experienced feelings of anxiety, 48 per cent experienced eye, nose or throat irritation, and 30 per cent experienced headaches.
In comparison, 9 per cent of all women in the ALSWH 1973-78 cohort experienced breathing difficulties as a result of bushfires or smoke exposure, 13 per cent experienced irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat, 11 per cent experienced feelings of anxiety and 7.4 per cent experienced headaches, 3 per cent were forced to evacuate or voluntarily relocated, while 1 per cent were trapped in a bushfire area.
“The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health has surveyed the same group of women for over 25 years and is the nation’s largest, and longest-running survey of women’s health and wellbeing,” Professor Mishra said.
Over 6000 women, aged 43-49, took part in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health 2021-22 survey – their ninth since the study began in 1996.
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As well as answering questions on their health and wellbeing, participants were asked about their experiences of bushfires or smoke over the past three years – a period which included the 2019-20 “Black Summer” bushfire season.
“Over time, we build up a detailed picture of women’s health and their use of health services at different points in their lives, as well as the social and environmental factors that impact their health and wellbeing,” Professor Mishra said.
“Understanding the widespread impacts of natural disasters like bushfires allows policymakers and health officials to plan better awareness campaigns or support services for the future.”
This research was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health by the University of Queensland and the University of Newcastle. We are grateful to the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care for funding and to the women who provided the survey data.
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