THE STRUCTURE OF THE AUSTRALIAN HEALTH SURVEY

This publication is the fourth in a series of ABS releases of results from the 2011-13 Australian Health Survey (AHS). First results from the survey were released in October 2012 in Australian Health Survey: First Results, 2011-12 (cat. no. 4364.0.55.001). Further results were released in March 2013 in Australian Health Survey: Health Service Usage and Health Related Actions, 2011-12 (cat. no. 4364.0.55.002) and in June 2013 in Australian Health Survey: Updated Results, 2011-12 (cat. not. 4364.0.55.003).

The AHS is the largest, most comprehensive health survey ever conducted in Australia. It combines the existing ABS National Health Survey (NHS) and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey together with two new elements - a National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS) and a National Health Measures Survey (NHMS).

The following diagram shows how the various elements combine to provide comprehensive health information for the overall Australian population. The content for each component survey is listed along with the ages of respondents for which topics were collected.

As shown in the above diagram, the AHS is made up of 3 components:

• the National Health Survey (NHS)
• the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS)
• the National Health Measures Survey (NHMS).

All people selected in the AHS were selected in either the NHS or the NNPAS, however data items in the core were common to both surveys and therefore information for these data items is available for all persons in the AHS. All people aged 5 years and older were then invited to participate in the voluntary NHMS.

Physical activity data for Adults were collected as part of the Core, and have previously been presented in the Australian Health Survey: First Results using NHS data. Demographic and other health risk factor data have also been previously presented either using NHS data only (4364.0.55.001 and 4364.0.55.002) or the combined sample data (4364.0.55.003). As results in this publication are from the NNPAS only, data presented in this publication differ from previously published data from the 2011-13 AHS.

INFORMATION FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLE

The AHS also includes an additional representative sample of around 13,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people which commenced in May 2012. This is a separate collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in remote and non-remote areas, including discrete communities. The structure is the same as outlined above, comprised of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey component, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity component and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Measures Survey component.

For more information on future releases see Release schedule.

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