THE STRUCTURE OF THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER HEALTH SURVEY


The Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey is made up of three components:

• the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS)
• the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NATSINPAS)
• the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Measures Survey (NATSIHMS).

All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people selected in the AATSIHS were respondents in either the NATSIHS or the NATSINPAS, however some core data items were common to both surveys. Information for these core data items is available for all persons in the AATSIHS. All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years and over who were selected in either the NATSIHS or NATSINPAS were invited to participate in the voluntary NATSIHMS component.

The following diagram shows how the various components combine to provide comprehensive health information for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. The contents (and age of respondents by topic) for each component survey are listed below.



As indicated in the diagram, around 9,300 people participated in the NATSIHS, answering questions about topics such as detailed health conditions and health risk factors as well as topics in the core content. For the NATSIHS component (those items collected only in the NATSIHS and not the core), the sample size is 1,000 persons less than that of the 2004–05 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, however, the results are considered comparable. For topics collected in the core, the expected sample size (12,300 people - results to be published June 2014) is approximately 1.2 times the 2004–05 NATSIHS sample and may therefore produce more accurate estimates for core items such as smoking and Body Mass Index, than in previous surveys.


For more information on the release schedule of AATSIHS products, see the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey: Users' Guide, 2012-13 (cat. no. 4727.0.55.002) and the Australian Health Survey: Users' Guide, 2011-13 (cat. no. 4363.0.55.001).