4727.0.55.004 - Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Physical activity, 2012-13  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 05/12/2014  First Issue
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ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER HEALTH SURVEY

The ABS Australian Health Survey (AHS) is the largest and most comprehensive health survey ever conducted in Australia. The survey, conducted throughout Australia, collected a range of information about health related issues as well as new detailed information on nutrition, physical activity, and chronic disease and nutrient biomarkers.

The Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (AATSIHS) forms part of the broader AHS and is based on a nationally representative sample of around 13,400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It was conducted in non-remote areas and remote areas across Australia, including discrete communities, and combines the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) with two new components - the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NATSINPAS) and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Measures Survey (NATSIHMS).

Both NATSINPAS and NATSIHMS were made possible by additional funding from the Australian Government Department of Health as well as the National Heart Foundation of Australia. The contributions of these two organisations to improving health information in Australia through quality statistics are greatly valued.

The AATSIHS was developed with the assistance of an advisory group comprised of experts on health issues, many of whom were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Members of these groups were drawn from Commonwealth and state/territory government agencies, non-government organisations, relevant academic institutions and clinicians. The valuable contributions made by members of these groups are greatly appreciated.

The success of the 2012–13 AATSIHS was also dependent on the very high level of cooperation received from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Their continued cooperation is very much appreciated; without it, the range of statistics published by the ABS would not be possible. Information received by the ABS is treated in strict confidence as required by the Census and Statistics Act 1905.