Researching culture and health : variables used to identify culturally diverse groups in New South Wales

NSW is one of Australia's most multicultural states, with 29 per cent of residents having been born overseas and 24 per cent speaking a language other than English at home. Given that rates of death and disease and patterns of health service utilisation differ across cultural variables such as region or country of birth, a better understanding of the interactions between culture and health may enable public health programs and clinical services to be more sensitive to community needs.