4727.0.55.002 - Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Users' Guide, 2012-13
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 05/12/2014 First Issue
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CHILD PHYSICAL ACTIVITY – 2 TO 4 YEARS (NON-REMOTE AREAS)
As per the national recommendations for this age group, physical activity does not need to be of a particular intensity and includes anything that involves movement. Population Information was collected for children aged 2 to 4 years in non-remote areas in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NATSINPAS). Methodology The collection methodology of this module relied on the recall of an adult proxy on behalf of their selected child, and did not make use of a diary or other form of recording activities. To assess against the National Physical Activity Recommendations, respondents were asked a series of questions about the physical activity their child had undertaken. In order to measure against recommendations that are based on meeting daily targets, questions were asked for each day in the three days prior to interview. It was suggested to proxies (persons responding on behalf of the child) that they may find it easier to think of what they themselves were doing on each day (for example, at work, doing gardening or chores, visiting friends, etc.) and during those times what arrangements were made for the child or what the child was doing. For each day respondents were asked about the total time spent (hours and minutes) doing the following activities:
This information was used to calculate whether a child met the physical activity recommendation by summing outdoor and indoor physical activity undertaken on each day. A child was considered to have met the physical activity recommendation for a given day if their activity totalled 180 minutes or more. Day representation and recall With data being collected on a three day rather than seven day basis, even representation of data across a week is not possible as a result of interview days not being evenly spread across a week.
Analysis of average time spent on physical activity on a weekend day versus a weekday identified no significant difference between the two. However, this result may be influenced by the overall sample size for this age group as well as the size of the sample who reported weekend days (58% of the NATSINPAS 2-4 year old sample reported a weekend day). Analysis identified no recall drop-off between day 1 and day 3. Data Items The data items and related output categories for this topic are available in Excel spreadsheet format from the Downloads page of this product. Interpretation Points to be considered in interpreting data for this topic include the following:
Comparability with other surveys The questions comprising this topic have not previously been collected in an ABS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population survey. Due to the difficulties with collection of physical activity information for this age group, there are minimal other sources of data available on this topic. The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children has collected a small amount of physical activity data for this age group related to indoor and outdoor play. However this data is not considered comparable to the NATSINPAS. Comparability with 2004–05 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) Physical activity data for children 2–4 years was not collected in the 2004-05 NATSIHS. Therefore no comparisons are possible. Comparability with 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) The 2008 NATSISS collected data for part of this age group - 3 and 4 year olds - on attendance at sporting events in the last 12 months, attendance/participation in sporting activities in the last 3 months and the frequency of attendance. In addition, for 4 year olds, the number of days in a week period they were physically active for at least 60 minutes was collected as well as participating in organised sport in a 12 month period and 2 week period. Given the difference in question reference periods, and the questions are conceptually different to those collected for this age group in the NATSINPAS, no comparisons are considered appropriate. Comparability with 2011-12 Australian Health Survey (AHS) The questions used for the 2012-13 NATSINPAS were based on those used in the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS). The main difference being the reference period, with NNPAS collecting data on each of the seven days prior to interview, compared to the three days prior to interview in NATSINPAS. NNPAS data identified a similar trend in reporting days to NATSINPAS when limited to the three days prior to interview. Therefore, NATSINPAS data are considered to be comparable to NNPAS, when the NNPAS data is restricted to the three days prior to interview. Physical activity data for 2-4 year olds was not collected in the 2011-12 National Health Survey (NHS) or 2012-13 NATSIHS. Therefore no comparisons are possible with these surveys.
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