4363.0.55.001 - Australian Health Survey: Users' Guide, 2011-13  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 07/06/2013   
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This document was added or updated on 13/12/2013.

RESPONSE RATES

A fully responding household is one in which all parts of the interview were completed for all persons in scope. An adequately responding household is the same as a fully responding household, but with legitimate 'don't know' answers or refusals from respondents. Adequately responding households for the 2011-12 NHS and NNPAS also included respondents who refused to have their height, weight, waist circumference or blood pressure measured.

To improve the sample representativeness for the biomedical component, as well as the second day dietary recall and pedometer component in NNPAS, households that contained at least one fully responding person but also contained a selected adult or child who did not respond to the survey, were also retained and considered adequately responding. This process added an additional 77 and 162 households respectively to the NHS and NNPAS samples. Note that this is different to previous Health Surveys, which have only retained households with complete surveys for all selected respondents.

National Health Survey

A total of 21,108 private dwellings were selected in the sample for the NHS, reduced to an actual sample of 18,355 dwellings after sample loss in the field stage.

Of the 18,355 dwellings in the actual sample, 15,565 (84.8%) were fully or adequately responding households.

Details of response rates are provided below.

RESPONSE RATES, National Health Survey, 2011-12

Number of households
no.
Proportion of households
%

Selected households
21 108
100.0
Sample loss
Vacant dwelling
1 538
7.3
All persons out of scope/coverage
345
1.6
Other sample loss(a)
870
4.0
Total sample loss
2 753
13.0
Selected households after sample loss
18 355
87.0
Responding households
Selected households after sample loss
18 355
100.0
Fully/adequately responding households
15 565
84.8
Not adequately responding households
Full/part refusal
491
2.7
Full/part non-contact
1 595
8.7
Language problems
183
1.0
Death or illness
331
1.8
Other
190
1.0
Total not adequately responding
2 790
15.2

(a) Includes situations such as selected persons away for enumeration period, no adult in household, derelict dwelling, dwelling converted to non-dwelling or holiday home.

NHS, APPROACHED SAMPLE, FINAL SAMPLE AND RESPONSE RATES

New South
Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South
Australia
Western
Australia
Tasmania
Northern
Territory
Australian Capital Territory
Australia

Households approached (after sample loss)
3 269
3 051
2 907
2 285
2 385
1 635
1 307
1 516
18 355
Households in sample
2 736
2 516
2 457
1 962
2 144
1 469
975
1 306
15 565
Response rate (%)
83.7
82.5
84.5
85.9
89.9
89.8
74.6
86.1
84.8
Persons in sample
3 602
3 287
3 244
2 508
2 847
1 909
1 304
1 725
20 426

Completed questionnaires for the first interview were obtained for 20,426 persons in fully/adequately responding dwellings. Detailed sample counts can be found in Appendix 1.

National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey

A total of 14,363 private dwellings were selected in the sample for the NNPAS, reduced to an actual sample of 12,366 dwellings after sample loss in the field stage.

Of the 12,366 dwellings in the actual sample, 9,519 (77.0%) were fully or adequately responding households to the first interview. Details of response rates are provided below.


RESPONSE RATES, National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, 2011-12

Number of households
no.
Proportion of households
%

Selected households
14 363
100.0
Sample loss
Vacant dwelling
1 076
7.5
All persons out of scope/coverage
240
1.7
Other sample loss(a)
681
4.7
Total sample loss
1 997
13.9
Selected households after sample loss
12 366
86.0
Responding households
Selected households after sample loss
12 366
100.0
Fully/adequately responding households
9 519
77.0
Not adequately responding households
Full/part refusal
463
3.7
Full/part non-contact
1 752
14.2
Language problems
152
1.2
Death or illness
358
2.9
Other
122
1.0
Total not adequately responding
2 847
23.0

(a) Includes situations such as selected persons away for enumeration period, no adult in household, derelict dwelling, dwelling converted to non-dwelling or holiday home.

NNPAS, APPROACHED SAMPLE, FINAL SAMPLE AND RESPONSE RATES

New South
Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South
Australia
Western
Australia
Tasmania
Northern
Territory
Australian Capital Territory
Australia

Households approached (after sample loss)
2 227
1 983
1 988
1 551
1 545
1 155
911
1 006
12 366
Households in sample
1 666
1 371
1 525
1 211
1 334
1 003
592
817
9 519
Response rate (%)
74.8
69.1
76.7
78.1
86.3
86.8
65.0
81.2
77.0
Persons in sample
2 139
1 749
1 964
1 526
1 706
1 245
763
1 061
12 153


Completed questionnaires for the first interview were obtained for 12,153 persons in fully/adequately responding dwellings. Detailed sample counts can be found in Appendix 1.


NNPAS CATI

Participation in the CATI required the respondent to provide a contact phone number (landline and/or mobile) at the time of the CAPI.

Non-response to the CATI included respondents who identified at the CAPI that they did not have a phone or refused to provide a phone number. It also included those respondents who could not be contacted for an interview (as a result of phone disconnections, non-response to contact attempts, or refusal at time of CATI). No face-to-face follow-up was conducted.

Of the 12,153 respondents who participated in the NNPAS CAPI, 7,735 (63.6%) also participated in the follow-up CATI to collect a 2nd day of Nutrition data.

Of the 11,478 respondents aged 5 years and over in the NNPAS sample, 8,154 (71.0%) agreed to participate in the Pedometer component of the survey. Of these, 6,061 respondents provided Pedometer data during the CATI interview (52.8% of those eligible to participate).

RESPONSE RATES, National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey - Second Interview, 2011-12

Number of persons
no.
Proportion of persons
%

Fully responding CAPI (1st) interview (2+)
12 153
100.0
Fully responding CAPI (1st) interview (5+)
11 478
100.0
Did not have CATI (2nd) interview
Refused/No phone number provided at CAPI
1 085
8.9
Non-contact/Refusal at CATI
2 394
19.7
Had CATI (2nd) interview (2+)(a)
8 699
71.6
Completed 2nd Dietary Recall (2+)
7 735
63.6
Pedometer data (5+)
Adequate response — 4 days (including 1 week day/1 weekend day)
5 626
49.0
Inadequate response
435
3.8
Issued pedometer but did not participate
2 093
18.2
Did not participate
3 324
29.0

(a) Some respondents only provided either pedometer data or nutrition data.


Combined NHS/NNPAS (the Core)

The NHS and NNPAS samples have been combined to provide a combined sample known as the core of 25,080 households and 31,837 respondents aged 2 years and over. The Core sample contains items common to both NHS and NNPAS.

Detailed sample counts of respondents 2 years and over available for the combined sample can be found in Appendix 1.

COMBINED SAMPLES (the core), APPROACHED SAMPLE, FINAL SAMPLE AND RESPONSE RATES

New South
Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South
Australia
Western
Australia
Tasmania
Northern
Territory
Australian Capital Territory
Australia

Households approached (after sample loss)
5 496
5 034
4 895
3 836
3 930
2 790
2 218
2 522
30 721
Households in sample
4 401
3 886
3 982
3 173
3 477
2 472
1 567
2 122
25 080
Response rate (%)
80.1
77.2
81.3
82.7
88.5
88.6
70.6
84.1
81.6
Persons in sample
5 598
4 925
5 084
3 964
4 461
3 091
2 002
2 712
31 837



PHYSICAL MEASUREMENT COMPONENT RESPONSE RATES, Australian Health Survey, 2011-12

Number of persons
no.
Proportion of persons
%

Fully responding interview (2+)
31 837
100.0
Fully responding interview (5+)
30 329
100.0
Measured height (2+)
26 666
83.8
Measured weight (2+)
26 577
83.5
Measured waist circumference (2+)
26 268
82.5
Blood pressure (5+)
Measured
24 693
81.4
Valid reading
24 565
81.0


National Health Measures Survey

Of the 30,329 respondents aged 5 years and over in the combined sample, 11,246 (37.1%) participated in the biomedical component and their results are contained in the AHS data file and their respective survey files. Detailed sample counts can be found in Appendix 1.

RESPONSE RATES, National Health Measures Survey, 2011-12

Number of persons
no.
Proportion of persons
%

Fully responding interview (5+)
30 329
100.0
Fully responding interview (12+)
27 636
100.0
Did not proceed to Biomedical component
Not offered(a)
99
0.3
Refused
12 655
41.7
Considering
431
1.4
Gave consent but did not participate
5 898
19.4
Biomedical Participants (5+)
11 246
37.1
Biomedical Participants (12+)
10 403
37.6
Urine sample provided (5+)
10 536
34.7
Blood sample provided (12+)
Fasting sample
8 168
29.6
Non-fasting sample
2 024
7.3

(a) Biomedical component was not offered in proxy interviews for adults where the respondent was not present.

COMPARISONS BETWEEN NHMS AND NHS/NNPAS SAMPLE DISTRIBUTIONS, 2011–12

Age group (years)(a)
NHMS
(unweighted)
%
NHS/NNPAS
(unweighted)
%

5-11
7.5
8.9
12-14
3.7
4.1
15-19
4.9
6.6
20-24
2.8
4.9
25-29
5.3
6.7
30-34
5.9
7.6
35-39
6.8
7.8
40-44
8.0
8.1
45-49
8.1
7.6
50-54
8.5
7.3
55-59
8.4
6.7
60-64
8.9
6.5
65-69
8.2
5.7
70-74
5.6
4.2
75-79
3.8
3.2
80-84
2.5
2.4
85 and over
1.3
1.8

(a) Weighting accounted for differences in sample distributions to ensure appropriate representation of age population in weighted estimates.
COMPARISONS BETWEEN NHMS AND NHS/NNPAS SAMPLES(a), Persons aged 18 years and over, 2011–12

NHMS
(unweighted)
%
NHS/NNPAS
(unweighted)
%

Males
44.5
46.5
Married(b)
58.5
52.8
Born in Australia
70.9
71.4
Has a non-school qualification(c)
62.5
59.1
In the Labour Force
63.6
66.5
Self-reported diabetes(d)
7.0
6.5
Self-reported high cholesterol(e)
12.0
9.6
Excellent or Very Good self-assessed health
53.4
52.9
Current daily smoker
12.0
17.6
Overweight/obese(f)
66.4
64.9

(a) Weighting did not account for differences in characteristics of samples as identified in this table, other than sex.
(b) Includes de facto couples.
(c) Excludes persons where level was not determined.
(d) Includes persons who self-reported they had diabetes, regardless if it was current or long-term (excludes gestational diabetes).
(e) Includes persons who self-reported they had high cholesterol and it was current and long-term.
(f) Includes only persons for whom height and weight were measured.



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