EXPLANATORY NOTES
NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY
1 Information about the survey design and methodology, the quality and interpretation of results, and information about the range of publications and other available data services is in the Explanatory Notes of the National Health Survey 2004-05: Summary of Results, Australia (cat. no. 4364.0). Detailed information about the survey is also available in the National Health Survey 2004-05 : Users' Guide (cat. no. 4363.0.55.001) (ABS Website <www.abs.gov.au>).
NATIONAL ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER HEALTH SURVEY
2 This publication also contains Indigenous information obtained from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) which was conducted at the same time as the 2004-05 NHS. Information about that survey, and summary results are available in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey 2004-05: Summary of Results, Australia (cat. no. 4715.0) (ABS Web site <www.abs.gov.au>).
DATA IN THIS PUBLICATION
3 Although height and weight was collected of all persons aged 15 years and over in the NHS, this publication represents the adult population only (aged 18 years and over). NHS respondents in the age group 15-17 years could, with the approval of a parent or guardian, answer survey questions themselves or have questions answered by proxy, usually by a parent or guardian.
4 In 65% of cases information about height, weight and reported body mass for persons aged 15-17 years was usually reported by proxy and the child may or may not have been consulted. Greater variance of BMI was realised when height and weight was reported by a proxy (ABS 1995). As a result, data for this age group should be interpreted with care and is not used in this publication.
5 For a variety of reasons, approximately 8% of respondents aged 18 years and over did not provide their weight or height information. As a result, they were excluded from data presented in this publication as their BMI scores were not able to be calculated.
ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS
- ABS Australian Bureau of Statistics
- AIHA Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- BMI Body Mass Index
- BHC Better Health Channel
- cm Centimetre
- DoHA Department of Health and Ageing
- kg Kilogram
- K10 Kessler Psychological Distress Scale
- na not available
- NHMRC National Health and Medical Research Council
- NHS National Health Survey
- no. Number
- OHP Other health professional
- SEIFA Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas
- WHO World Health Organization
- % Per cent
- '000 Thousands
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