Data sources and definitions
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY: DATA SOURCES
| DATA SOURCE | Indicators using this source | |
 | National indicators | State indicators |
| ABS 2001 Census of Population and Housing. | 7 | 7 |
| ABS Births Collection. | 37-44 | 37-42 |
| ABS Child Care Survey. | 45-50 | 43-48 |
| ABS Family Characteristics Survey. | 20 | - |
| Family Characteristics Australia, June 2003 (ABS cat. no. 4442.0). | - | 20 |
| ABS Labour Force Survey. | 4-6, 8-19, 21-23 | 4-6, 8-19, 21-23 |
| ABS Surveys of Income and Housing. | 24 | 24 |
| AIHW Perinatal Data Collection 1999. | 43-44 | - |
| Australian Demographic Statistics (ABS cat. no. 3101.0). | 1-3, 25-26, 32-33, 37-38 | 1-3, 25-26, 32-33, 37-38 |
| ABS Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers. | - | 52 |
| Disability, Ageing and Carers Australia: Summary of Findings (ABS cat. no. 4430.0). | 52-53 | 50-51 |
| Divorces, Australia 2003 (ABS cat. no. 3307.0.55.001) | 32-36 | 32-36 |
| General Social Survey: Summary Results, Australia 2002 (ABS cat. no. 4159.0) | 51 | 49, 53-56 |
| Marriages, Australia 2003 (ABS cat. no. 3301.0). | 25-31 | 25-31 |
| Participation in Sport and Physical Activities, Australia 2002 (ABS cat. no. 4177.0) | 55 | - |
| ABS Surveys of Sports Attendance, 1995 & 1999 (data available on request), General Social Survey, Summary Results, Australia 2002. | 54 | - |
| ABS Surveys of Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues | 56 | - |
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY: DEFINITIONS
Average family size
for any group of families, the total number of family members divided by the number of families in the group.
Births
live births registered in that year. A live birth is the delivery of a child irrespective of the duration of pregnancy who, after being born, breathes or shows any evidence of life such as a heartbeat.
Reference: Births, Australia (ABS cat. no. 3301.0).
Births outside marriage
births where the father was not registered as married to the mother at the time of the birth, whether or not the parents were living together at the time of the birth, and whether or not the child may subsequently have been adopted or their father and mother have subsequently been registered as married. Also known as exnuptial births.
Reference: Births, Australia (ABS cat. no. 3301.0).
Births outside marriage acknowledged by the father
births outside registered marriage where the father's name is recorded on the birth certificate. Also known as paternity-acknowledged birth.
Reference: Births, Australia (ABS cat. no. 3301.0).
Carer
a carer is a person of any age who provides any informal assistance, in terms of help or supervision, to persons with disabilities or long-term conditions, or older persons (i.e. aged 60 years and over). This assistance has to be ongoing, or likely to be ongoing, for at least six months.
Child aged under 15 years
a related or unrelated person aged under 15 years who forms a parent-child relationship with one person aged 15 years or over resident in the household.
Reference: Family Characteristics (ABS cat. no. 4442.0).
Couple family
a family based on two persons who are in a registered or de facto marriage and who are usually resident in the same household. The family may include any number of dependants, non-dependants and other related individuals. It is not necessary for a parent-child relationship to be formed, thus a couple family can consist of a couple without children present in the household.
Reference: Family Characteristics (ABS cat. no. 4442.0).
Couple-only family
a couple family with no dependant children or other family members (e.g. non-dependant children) present.
Crude divorce rate
the number of divorces (decrees absolute of dissolution of marriage) granted in the calendar year per 1,000 of the estimated resident population at 30 June of that year.
Reference: Divorces, Australia (ABS cat. no. 3307.0.55.001).
Crude marriage rate
the number of marriages registered in the calendar year per 1,000 of the estimated resident population at 30 June of that year.
Reference: Marriages, Australia (ABS cat. no. 3306.055.001).
De facto couple
two people (of the same or opposite sex) who live together in the same household who are not registered as married to each other but reported being either: de facto, partner, common law husband/wife/spouse, lover, boyfriend or girlfriend.
Reference: 2001 Census of Population and Housing.
Divorce
decree absolute of dissolution of a registered marriage.
Reference: Divorces, Australia (ABS cat. no. 3307.0.55.001).
Divorces involving children
divorces of couples with unmarried children of the registered marriage who were aged under 18 years at the time of application for divorce. Under the Family Act 1975, adopted and ex-nuptial children and children from a former registered marriage may be included (in certain cases). Children who are registered as marriage or aged 18 years and over are not subject to custody and guardianship orders and are excluded.
Reference: Divorces, Australia (ABS cat. no. 3307.0.55.001).
Duration of marriage until separation
the interval measured in complete years between the date of marriage and the date of separation.
Reference: Divorces, Australia (ABS cat. no. 3307.0.55.001).
Employed person
persons aged 15 years and over who either worked during the reference week for pay, profit, commission, payment in kind or without pay for one hour or more in a family business, or who had a job but were not at work. Also includes employers, own account workers or contributing family workers who had a job, business or farm, but were not at work.
Reference: Australian Labour Market Statistics (ABS cat. no. 6105.0).
Estimated resident population
the official measure of the population of Australia based on the concept of residence. It refers to all people, regardless of nationality or citizenship, who usually live in Australia, with the exception of foreign diplomatic personnel and their families. It includes usual residents who are overseas for less than 12 months. It excludes overseas residents who are in Australia for less than 12 months.
Reference: Australian Demographic Statistics (ABS cat. no. 3101.0).
Family
two or more persons, one of whom is aged 15 years or over, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering; and who are usually resident in the same household. The basis of family is formed by identifying the presence of a couple relationship, lone parent-child relationship or other blood relationship. Some households will, therefore, contain more than one family.
Reference: Australian Labour Market Statistics (ABS cat. no. 6105.0).
Feels unsafe at home
Feels very unsafe or unsafe at home alone after dark.
Reference: General Social Survey (ABS cat. no. 4159.0).
Formal child care
regulated care, away from the child's home. The main types of formal care are: before and after school care; long-day care; family day care; occasional care and preschool.
Reference: Child Care, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4402.0).
Has contact with family or friends
has contact with family and friends at least once a week, either face to face or by other means of communication.
Reference: General Social Survey (ABS cat. no. 4159.0).
Has source of support in time of crisis
the expectation that support would be available in time of crisis from friends, family or organisations. Types of support may include advice on what to do, emotional support, help during an illness or with maintaining family or work responsibilities, or support with money, accommodation or food.
Reference: General Social Survey (ABS cat. no. 4159.0).
Household
a group of two or more related or unrelated people who usually reside in the same private dwelling, or a person living alone in a private dwelling. Households include group households of unrelated persons, same-sex couple households, single-parent households as well as one-person households. A household usually resides in a private dwelling (including caravans etc. in caravan parks). Persons usually resident in non-private dwellings, such as hotels, motels, boarding houses, jails and hospitals, are not included in household estimates. This definition of a household is consistent with the definition used in the census. The number of households can be either based on count or estimated resident population.
Reference: Australian Demographic Statistics (ABS cat. no. 3101.0).
Informal assistance
informal assistance is unpaid help or supervision that is provided to persons with one or more disabilities or persons aged 60 years and over living in households. It includes only assistance that is provided for one or more of the tasks associated with the activities of communication, mobility, self care, health care, paperwork, transport, housework, meal preparation, light property maintenance and cognition or emotion because of a person's disability or age. Informal assistance may be provided by family, friends or neighbours. For the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, any assistance received from family or friends living in the same household was considered to be informal assistance regardless of whether or not the provider was paid.
Informal child care
non-regulated care, arranged by the child's parent/guardian, either in the child's home or elsewhere. It comprises care by: (step) brothers or sisters; grandparents, other relatives including a parent living elsewhere and other (unrelated) people such as friends, neighbours, nannies or babysitters. It may be paid or unpaid.
Reference: Child Care, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4402.0).
Is able to ask for small favours
examples of small favours are looking after pets, watering your garden, collecting mail or checking your house while you are away from home, minding a child for a brief period, help with moving or lifting objects, help out when you are sick or injured, or lending equipment.
Reference: General Social Survey (ABS cat. no. 4159.0).
Lone parent
a person who has no spouse or partner present in the household but who forms a parent-child relationship with at least one dependant or non-dependant child usually resident in the household.
Reference: Australian Labour Market Statistics (ABS cat. no. 6105.0).
Lone person
a person who makes provision for his/her food and other essentials for living without combining with any other person to form part of a multi-person household. He or she may live in a dwelling on their own or share a dwelling with another individual or household.
Reference: Australian Labour Market Statistics , Australia (ABS cat. no. 6105.0).
Median
the value at which half the population falls above and half falls below.
Median age
for any distribution the median value is that which divides the relevant population into two equal parts, half falling below the value, and half exceeding it. Thus, the median age is the age at which half the population is older and half is younger.
Reference: Population by Age and Sex, Australian States and Territories (ABS cat. no. 3201.0).
Median age of mothers at first birth
the median age of mothers at the end of first confinement. A confinement is a pregnancy which results in at least one live birth: multiple births (e.g. twins) may be involved.
Reference: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australia's Mothers and Babies (1996).
Median hours of care
hours of care is defined as the number of hours a child attended child care in the survey reference week. Median hours of care is the number of hours of care per week at which half the children who received formal and/or informal child care fall below the value and half above.
Reference: Child Care, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4402.0).
Natural parent
a parent who is related to his or her child(ren) by either birth or adoption.
Reference: Family Characteristics Australia (ABS cat. no. 4442.0).
Natural parent living elsewhere
one of a child's natural parents who is not usually resident in the same household as the child.
Reference: Family Characteristics Australia (ABS cat. no. 4442.0).
Non-resident parent
persons aged 15 years and over who have one or more natural children aged 0-17 years living elsewhere.
Reference: Family Characteristics Australia (ABS cat. no. 4442.0).
One-parent family
a family consisting of a lone parent with at least one dependant or non-dependant child (regardless of age) who is also usually resident in the household.
Reference: Australian Labour Market Statistics (ABS cat. no. 6105.0).
Primary carer
a primary carer is a person who provides the most informal assistance, in terms of help or supervision, to a person with one or more disabilities. The assistance has to be ongoing, or likely to be ongoing, for at least six months and be provided for one or more of the core activities (communication, mobility and self care). In the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, primary carers only include persons aged 15 years and over for whom a personal interview was conducted. Persons aged 15 to 17 years were only interviewed personally if parental permission was granted.
Provides support for other relatives living outside the household
any of the following types of support provided to relatives such as elderly parents, children aged 25 years and over, grandchildren who live outside the household:
- give money to pay rent and/or other housing costs
- give money to pay bills or meet debt
- provide or pay for food
- provide or pay for clothing
- let them borrow the car
- drive them places
- pay for educational costs or textbooks
- provide pocket money or an allowance
- buy or give them money to buy big cost items such as a car, computer, sound system, etc.
Registered marriage
formally registered marriage for which the partners hold a marriage certificate.
Reference: Marriages, Australia (ABS cat. no. 3306.055.001).
Total fertility rate
the sum of age-specific fertility rates (live births at each age of mother per female population of that age). It represents the number of children a female would bear during her lifetime if she experienced current age-specific fertility rates throughout her reproductive life. Reference: Births, Australia (ABS cat. no. 3301.0).
Volunteer
a volunteer is someone who willingly gave unpaid help in the form of time, service or skills, through an organisation or group, in the previous 12 months.
Reference: Voluntary Work (ABS cat. no. 4441.0).
Volunteer rate
for any group, the volunteer rate is the number of volunteers in that group expressed as a proportion of the total population in that same group.
Reference: Voluntary Work (ABS cat. no. 4441.0).
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