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TIME AWAY FROM WORK OR STUDY/SCHOOL

Definition

This topic refers to days on which respondents stayed away from work or study/school for more than half a day due to illness or injury, or to care for someone else, as well as days on which respondent had reduced activities due to illness or injury.

Population

Information was collected for all persons in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) aged 5 to 64 years who were working or studying/at school. Information was collected from all persons aged 5 years and over for the questions on days had reduced activities.

Note: Due to an error in the remote questionnaire, for persons living in remote areas only data regarding time off work is able to be produced. Refer to the Data item list for population details.

Methodology

As appropriate to the age, educational and employment circumstances previously recorded at the interview, respondents were asked separately whether in the last two weeks they had stayed away from work and/or school/study because of an illness/injury they had, and whether in the last two weeks they had stayed away from work and/or school/study to care for someone else who was sick or injured. The number of days away was recorded for each of these actions as appropriate. Information about the medical condition involved was not collected.

Respondents were asked whether, in the last 2 weeks, they had stayed away from work or study/school for more than half a day as a result of their own illness or injury, or to care for someone else because they were sick or injured. Respondents who identified as having time off were then asked the number of days in the last 2 weeks that they had taken time off.

Respondents who identified they were working and studying were asked separately about days away from work or study, and days in which they were away from both work and study on the same day.

Respondents who identified they were ill or injured and caring were asked separately about days away for own illness or injury and days away to care for someone else, further questions were then asked on the days in which they were away due to their own illness and for caring requirements on the same day.

Respondents aged 15 years or over who had spent less than 14 days in total away from work or study (including those who do not work or study) were also asked whether, in the last 2 weeks, they had to cut down on anything they usually do due to illness or injury. This was also asked of persons under 15 years of age who had spent less than 10 days in total away from school. Respondents who identified as having reduced activities were then asked the number of days in the last 2 weeks that they had to cut down on their usual activities.

Data items

Data items and related output categories for this topic will be available in Excel spreadsheet format from the Downloads page of this product.

Interpretation

Points to be considered when interpreting data for this topic include the following.

• Sequencing of respondents through this section of the questionnaire relied on previous information recorded about their current employment and/or student status. To the extent that reporting or recording errors may have occurred in this information, the information recorded about days away from work or school/study will also be affected.
• While efforts were made in the survey questionnaire to ensure only illness or injury-related days away from work and/or study/school were recorded, and only days for which more than half a day's absence was involved, some misreporting may have occurred.
• The terminology of 'sick or hurt' instead of 'illness or injury' was used for consistent collection methodology across non-remote and remote areas.
• Questions about days away from work were not asked in terms of a particular job. For persons with more than one job, the days away from work may not necessarily relate to the respondent's main job. While the effect of this is expected to be minor, it should be considered when, for example, analysing information on days away from work against reported occupation or industry of main job.
• Although worded to exclude any days away from work and/or study/school, some respondents may still include days away from work and/or study/school when responding to the questions on reduced activity.

• questions about days away from work and/or study/school for a respondent's own illness and/or caring purposes were not exclusive in 2004-05. It is not possible to determine a total count of days away, as it is not possible to determine whether there are overlapping days (for example, where respondents were away from both work and study on the same day, or where they were away for their own illness and caring purposes on the same day). Additional questions are included in the 2012-13 NATSIHS to determine whether there are overlapping days.
• the population for some items differ between the surveys, so care should be taken that the populations presented are the same.