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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Contents >> Survey design and operation >> Output datasets

OUTPUT DATASETS

Information from the survey was stored electronically in the form of data items. In some cases, items were formed directly from individual survey questions while in others, items were derived from answers to several questions (e.g. Body Mass Index derived from measured height and weight). Some items were derived with reference to information from other organisations such as the National Health and Medical Research Council (e.g. in relation to guidelines on consumption of alcohol).

Datasets from the 2011-12 NHS and NNPAS are hierarchical in nature. A hierarchical data file is an efficient means of storing and retrieving information which describes one to many, or many to many, relationships; e.g. a person may report multiple days on which alcohol was consumed and also multiple types of alcoholic beverages on each of these days.

The structure of the NHS dataset is as follows:

  • Household level - containing information about household size and structure, dwelling characteristics (including geographic classifications), and household income details.
  • Persons in Household level - containing basic demographic and relationship information about all members of households, including those members selected in the survey.
  • Person level - which is the main level, containing all demographic and socio-economic characteristics of survey respondents, and most of the health and related information they provided.
  • Alcohol Day level - containing information on alcohol consumption on the three most recent days on which respondents reported consuming alcohol, and the order of consumption.
  • Alcohol Type level - containing information on the order of consumption and the broad alcohol types and quantities for each type consumed on those days.
  • Actions level - which is the main level for actions taken for National Health Priority Areas health conditions and contains information about actions taken by respondents in relation to their health conditions.
  • Conditions level - containing detailed information about the health conditions reported by respondents.
  • Medication level - containing information about the types of medications and supplements used by respondents.
  • Biomedical level - containing information collected from the National Health Measures Survey (NHMS).

The structure of the NNPAS dataset is as follows:
  • Household level - containing information about household size and structure, dwelling characteristics (including geographic classifications), and household income details.
  • Persons in Household level - containing basic demographic and relationship information about all members of households, including those members selected in the survey.
  • Person level - which is the main level, containing all demographic and socio-economic characteristics of survey respondents, and most of the health and related information they provided.
  • Conditions level - containing information about the selected health conditions reported by respondents.
  • Child 2-4 years physical activity day level - containing information on physical activity on each of the seven days prior to the interview. This includes specific information on time spent on indoors/outdoors/screen-based activities.
  • Child 5-17 years physical activity day level - containing information on physical activity on each of the seven days prior to the interview. This includes specific information on time spent on active transport/moderate-vigorous/screen-based activities per day.
  • Child 5-17 years physical activity detailed level - containing information on individual physical activities undertaken on each of the seven days prior to the interview. This includes specific information on time spent on active transport/moderate-vigorous by detailed type, whether the moderate-vigorous activity was organised, and time spent on organised component. This level contains the child physical activity classification.
  • Adult physical activity level - containing the adult physical activity classification and identification for each activity on whether it was organised.
  • Pedometer level - containing information on day of week recorded, time wore pedometer per recorded day, and number of steps per recorded day.
  • Biomedical level - containing information collected from the National Health Measures Survey (NHMS).
  • Food level - containing information on food intake on the day prior to the interview and on a second day for respondents that completed the follow-up CATI. This includes nutrient information on each of the food items consumed as well as the time and eating occasion of consumption.
  • Supplement level - containing information on dietary supplement intake on the day prior to the interview and on a second day for respondents that completed the follow-up CATI. This includes nutrient information on each of the dietary supplement items consumed.
  • Nutrient level - containing summary nutrient intake information for foods, dietary supplements and total for the day prior to the interview and on a second day for respondents that completed the follow-up CATI.

The structure of the combined NHS/NNPAS (Core) dataset is as follows:
  • Household level - containing information about household size and structure, dwelling characteristics (including geographic classifications), and household income details.
  • Persons in Household level - containing basic demographic and relationship information about all members of households, including those members selected in the survey.
  • Person level - which is the main level, containing all demographic and socio-economic characteristics of survey respondents, and most of the health and related information they provided.
  • Conditions level - containing information about the selected health conditions reported by respondents.
  • Biomedical level - containing information collected from the National Health Measures Survey (NHMS).

Data about households and families are contained as individual characteristics on person records. While estimates are also available at the household level, estimates at the family level are not available from these surveys. The data items and related output categories currently available from the NHS, NNPAS and AHS are available in Excel spreadsheet format from the Downloads page of this product.



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