4363.0 - National Health Survey: Users' Guide, 2017-18

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/04/2019

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Users' Guide + Introduction + Survey design and operation + Health conditions Self-assessed health Asthma Arthritis Cancer Cardiovascular disease Diabetes and high sugar levels Kidney disease Osteoporosis Sight and hearing Other long-term conditions Disability Bodily pain Mental health and wellbeing Kessler Psychological Distress Scale -10 (K10) Mental, behavioural and cognitive conditions Comorbidity + Health risk factors + Health related actions + Health Literacy Survey + Population characteristics Data quality + Data output and dissemination About this Release History of Changes	Sight and hearing Definition This topic covers detailed information about sight and hearing, including conditions that can be corrected (for instance by glasses) through to total blindness or deafness. Population Information was obtained for all persons in the 2017-18 NHS. Methodology Respondents were first asked whether or not they were colour blind (not conceptually considered to be a long term condition but is included as a long-term condition in the ICD10). They were then asked whether they wore glasses or contact lenses to correct or partially correct their eyesight. Persons who did so were shown a prompt card listing a number of sight conditions (as below) which are currently corrected or partially corrected by glasses or contact lenses, and asked to select any conditions they may have had from the list: Astigmatism Short-sightedness / Myopia / difficulty seeing objects in the distance Macular degeneration Other age related sight problems / Presbyopia Long-sightedness / Hyperopia / difficulty seeing objects close up Other (one other eye sight problem could be recorded). More than one response was allowed. All persons were then asked whether they had any other sight problems. A list of conditions was provided to interviewers to make it easier to record the information. The listed categories were: Astigmatism Short-sightedness / Myopia / difficulty seeing objects in the distance Macular degeneration Other age related sight problems / Presbyopia Long sightedness / Hyperopia / difficulty seeing objects close up Totally blind in both eyes Totally blind in 1 eye Partially blind in both eyes partially blind in 1 eye Glaucoma Cataracts Trachoma Lazy eye/Strabismus Retinopathy Other (one other eye sight problem could be recorded). More than one response was allowed. Respondents who had previously reported having diabetes or high sugar levels and also a sight problem were asked whether any recorded sight problems were due to their diabetes or high sugar levels. Respondents were then asked whether they had undergone cataract and/or laser eye surgery to correct or partially correct their eyesight. Persons who did so were shown a prompt card listing a number of sight conditions (as below) which are most commonly corrected or partially corrected by cataract surgery or laser eye surgery, and asked to select any conditions they may have had from the list: Cataracts Short-sightedness / Myopia / difficulty seeing objects in the distance Other age-related sight problem / Presbyopia Long sightedness / Hyperopia / difficulty seeing objects close up Other Don’t know As part of their coding instructions Interviewers were advised to include astigmatism(s) under 'Other'. All respondents were then asked whether they had any hearing problems or problems with their ears which had lasted, or were expected to last for six months or more. As with eye sight problems, a list of conditions was provided to interviewers to make it easier to record the information. The listed categories were: Total deafness Deaf in 1 ear Hearing loss / partially deaf Tinnitus Meniere's Disease Otitis Media Other (one other hearing or ear problem could be recorded). More than one response was allowed. Data items The questionnaire, data items and related output categories for this topic are available in pdf / Excel spreadsheet format from the Downloads page of this product. Interpretation Points to be considered in interpreting data for this topic include the following: Respondents may have reported sight problems as being corrected by glasses that are not generally considered to be able to be corrected. Data is as reported by the respondent. Sight and hearing problems are assumed to be current and long-term. As a result some reporting of short-term conditions may have been reported but have been classified as long-term. Sight and hearing problems do not require diagnosis for reporting. Comparability with 2014-15 Sight and hearing data are considered directly comparable between the 2017-18 and 2014-15 NHS. More information regarding comparisons between 2014-15 NHS and previous cycles is available in the National Health Survey: Users' Guide, 2014-15 (cat. no. 4363.0). Questions about whether the respondent saw an eye specialist or optometrist were not included in the 2017-18 NHS. Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window.