They are at disadvantage in health standards, life expectancy, and infant mortality. Health risks and lack of proper health care place Aboriginal children at extreme risk for many diseases. Four times as many Aborigines have diabetes as compared to statistics of non-indigenous Australians. Maltrunition is also common among Aborigines. The government supports Aboriginal medical services in all states since such poor health standards exist in the culture.
Nonindigenous health is also a relevant issue in Australia.
Another factor affecting Aboriginal children are poor living conditions. A child living in these conditions grows up in less than adequate, overcrowded housing, where family pressures are great. Conflict with White institutional authority and police authority is a part of Aboriginal life. However, Aboriginal children attending rural schools expressed more positive attitudes toward parents and other forms of authority. With the poverty and the absence of bare necessities that Aboriginal children face daily, it is no surprise that educational standards are extremely low.