Introduction
This document contains links to the questions and associated prompt cards used in the 2001 National Health Survey (NHS). Also provided is a list of the output data items from the survey. These are made available to assist users of data from the survey in understanding what information was collected and how it was collected. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) retains copyright on the questions used in the 2001 NHS. They cannot be used in whole or in part in any other survey or study without the permission of the ABS. In general, when requested the ABS allows the use of questions to support data comparability but only in such a way that avoids any potential confusion about the role of the ABS in surveys run by other organisations, or perceptions that ABS endorses a survey run by another agency. For further information please contact the National Information and Referal Service on 1300 135 070.
If you are specifically interested in information pertaining to the Supplementary Indigenous sample of the National Health Survey, that information is available
from the 2001 National Health Survey: Output Data Items (Indigenous) Survey questionnaires.
If you are specifically interested in time series comparability of the NHS (1995-2001), information is available in the Guide To Time Series Comparability From The National Health Survey, Australia.
2001 NHS Questionnaires
The NHS was collected by personal interview, by trained ABS collection officers. Approximately 26,900 people from all states and territiories and across all age groups were included. The survey enumerated one adult, one child aged 7 to 17 years, and all children aged less than 7 years in each selected dwelling. Persons aged 18 years or more were interviewed personally, with the exception of persons who were unable to answer for themselves because of old age, illness, intellectual disability or difficulty with the English language. In these cases, another person was interviewed on their behalf, provided the interviewer was assured that this was acceptable to the respondent. For persons aged under 18 years, information was obtained from an adult resident, nominated by the household (referred to as the child proxy). Adult female respondents were invited to complete a small additional questionnaire covering supplementary women's health topics. The following documents present the questionnaires used for the 2001 NHS.
NHS01 Household Form
NHS01 Adult Form
NHS01 Women's Form
NHS01 Child Form
Prompt Cards
This document presents the prompt cards used in the NHS interviews. Prompt cards were contained in a booklet carried by the NHS interviewers and displayed to the respondent at various points throughout the interview. Prompt cards allow respondents to choose a response to a question from a predetermined list of response categories. They are used to standardise common responses that can be given to particular questions and to ensure that the interview flows efficiently.
NHS01 Written Prompt cards
NHS01 Pictorial Prompt cards
Vegetable Prompt Cards
Fruit Prompt Cards
Health card Prompt Cards
Important points to note regarding the NHS questionnaires:
- The questionnaire was designed to be administered by experienced ABS interviewers, who had received specific training on this survey.
- The questionnaire was further supported by detailed interviewer instructions, covering general procedural issues as well as specific instructions relating to individual questions. These instructions were retained by interviewers throughout the survey enumeration for reference purposes as required; for example where a respondent asks how to answer for a particular circumstance. Copies of relevant sections from these instructions may be available on request.
- The questionnaire uses standard ABS conventions, such as the use of capital letters to indicate questions to be asked, lower case to indicate response categories and italics to indicate sequence guides or other instructions to interviewers.
- The questionnaire was designed to be processed using standard ABS procedures (including office coding) and systems.
- The questionnaire is not fully indicative of the range of information available from the survey, as additional items are created in processing the data and ABS classifications are applied to raw data inputs. Also, some questions are asked solely for the purpose of enabling or clarifying other questions, and are not available in survey results.
Output Data Item List
The following table provides a summary of the content of the 2001 NHS. Furthermore the attached file lists all data items available on the basic and expanded 2001 NHS Confidentialised Unit Record Files (CURFs). This is not an exhaustive list of all data items available, it does however provide information on the majority of requested variables. Further Information about data items may be found on 2001 National Health Survey: Output Data Items or by contacting the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.
2001 NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY: CONTENT SUMMARY
Health Status Indicators
| Topic | Population | Main items |
| General | 15 yrs or more | Self-assessed health status; health transition |
| Asthma | All | Whether ever had; whether currently has; whether has asthma action plan; medications used in last 2 weeks; type of other action for asthma in last 2 weeks |
| Asthma symptoms | 18 - 45 yrs | Whether whistly/wheezy chest - frequency; Whether coughing at night or during exercise - frequency |
| Diabetes/high blood sugar | All | Whether ever had; whether currently has; type of diabetes; medications used in last 2 weeks; type of actions taken to manage condition; whether condition interferes with usual activity; whether diabetes- related sight problems; period since last visited optometrist/eye specialist |
| Cancer | All | Whether ever had; age diagnosed; whether currently has; type of cancer; medications used in last 2 weeks. |
| Cardiovascular conditions | All | Whether ever had; whether currently has; type of condition, medications used in last 2 weeks. |
| Other long-term conditions | All | Type of condition |
| All long term conditions | All with long-term condition | Whether work related or result of injury; type of injury event |
| Injuries | All | Whether injury in last 4 weeks resulting in action; type of occurrence; type of injury; parts of body injured; activity at time of event; location of event; whether attended for treatment; whether time off work/school or other reduced activity as a result of injury |
| Mental well-being | 18 yrs or more | Quality of life; psychological distress; and use of medication (type, frequency and duration) |
Health Related Actions
| Topic | Population | Main items |
| Hospital in-patient episodes | All | Whether admitted in last 12 months; number of admissions; most recent admission - number of nights; patient type |
| Visits to day clinics, out - patients, casualty | All | Whether visited in last 2 weeks; number of visits; whether outpatients visit related to admission |
| Doctor consultations | All | Time since last visit; number of visits - GP & specialist - in last 2 weeks |
| Dental consultations | All | Time since last visit; number of visits in last 2 weeks |
| Consultations with OHPs | All | Whether visited in last 2 weeks; number of visits by type of
OHP (Other health professional) |
| Days off work or school | Students
employed | Whether had days away in last 2 weeks due to own illness or as carer; number of days |
| Other days of reduced activity | All | Whether cut down on usual activities in last 2 weeks due to illness; number of days |
Health Risk Factors
| Topic | Population | Main items |
| Body mass | 15 yrs or more | Self-reported height, weight and body mass; BMI |
| Smoking | 18 yrs or more | Smoker status |
| Alcohol consumption | 18 yrs or more | Period since last drank; days consumed in last week; quantity by type consumed in last week; alcohol risk level |
| Exercise | 15 yrs or more | Type; frequency and duration of exercise in last 2 weeks; exercise level |
| Diet | 12 yrs or more
Women18 - 50
18 yrs or more | Type of milk usually consumed; usual daily intake of vegetables and fruit; frequency adding salt
Consumption of folate enriched products in last 2 weeks
Food security |
| Sun protection | All | Whether regularly have skin checks. |
| 0 - 17 yrs | Type of protective measures taken in last month |
| Adult immunisation | 50 yrs or more | Whether had flu and pneumococcal vaccines; time since last vaccine; how obtained flu vaccine |
| Children's immunisation | 0 - 6 yrs | Type and number of vaccinations received; immunisation status; reasons for vaccinating/not vaccinating |
| Breastfeeding | 0 - 3 yrs | Whether breastfed; duration of breastfeeding; age at introduction of infant formula, cows milk, milk substitute, solid food; reasons for ceasing breastfeeding |
Supplementary Women's Health Topics
| Topic | Population | Main items |
| Breast screening | Women 18 yrs or more | Types and frequency of regular breast examines; reasons for last mammogram |
| Cervical cancer screening | Women 18 yrs or more | Frequency of Pap test |
| Hysterectomy | Women 18 yrs or more | Whether had hysterectomy; age at hysterectomy |
| HRT | Women 18 yrs or more | Whether currently use; time used Hormone Replacement Therapy |
| Breastfeeding history | Women 18 yrs or more | Number of children ever had, whether breastfed, number breastfed, time breastfed each child. |
| Contraception/ protection | Women 18-49 yrs | Whether self/partner use contraception; type of contraception used; age first used contraceptive pill; reasons not using contraception |
General Characteristics
| Topic | Population | Main items |
| General demographics | All | Sex; age; marital status; Indigenous status; country of birth; year of arrival in Australia; language spoken at home; proficiency in English; Family type; Household size, composition, type; Income unit type; Location |
| Education | All | Whether attending school; age left school; highest level of school completed; whether has post-school qualification; level of highest post-school qualification; whether currently studying full or part time |
| Labour Force | 15 yrs or more | Labour force status; status in employment; no of jobs; occupation, industry and industry sector of main job; hours worked; duration of unemployment; shift work |
| Income | 15 yrs or more | Personal income - Level; sources and main source; type of pension/benefit received. Income unit income - Level |
| Housing | All | Dwelling type; number of bedrooms |
| Private health insurance (PHI) / health cards | 15 yrs or more | Whether has PHI; contribution rate; type of cover; time covered by PHI; reasons having/not having PHI; Whether has DVA or other Govt concession card: type of card cards held |
Further information on the results of this survey are available in the Summary Results: 2001 National Health Survey, information on the Confidentialised Unit Record File is available in the Information Paper: National Health Survey - Confidentialised Unit Record Files, and other general information about this survey can be found in 2001 National Health Survey: Users' Guide.
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