RESPONSE RATES AND SAMPLE ACHIEVED


Screening and selection of households

In non-community areas, dwellings in selected SA1s were screened to identify households with members who were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin. If a household was identified as having members who were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, that household was approached for interview. In community areas, screening did not take place; households within a selected community were randomly selected and approached for interview.

Survey response

After screening and sample loss (due to households with no residents in scope for the survey or where dwellings proved to be vacant, under construction or derelict) a total of 8,235 dwellings were approached for an interview. Of these eligible dwellings, 80.3% responded fully (or adequately) which yielded a total sample from the survey of 6,611 dwellings. An adequately responding household was defined as a household where at least one of the persons selected for the survey completed their interview. The total number of completed personal interviews was 11,178.

Table 2.4.1. 2014–15 NATSISS sample achieved, by state/territory

	NSW	Vic	QLD	SA	WA	Tas	NT	ACT	Australia
Fully responding sample achieved (persons)	1,688	1,197	1,967	1,077	1,687	1,200	1,940	422	11,178
Adequately responding households achieved(a)	922	701	1,227	641	1,034	694	1,143	249	6,611

(a) Household where at least one selected person completed their interview.

After screening households in remote non-community areas, 12.9% were identified as having an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander usual resident. Of these households, 76.8% adequately responded to the survey. This response rate does not take into account approximately 4.4% of households who were unable to be contacted after screening. In non-remote areas, approximately 2.4% of screened households were identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households, with a response rate of 78.2% and 5.4% of households unable to be contacted.

In remote communities, 89.4% of in-scope households were fully or adequately responding. This response rate for non-remote communities was 72.6% of in-scope households.

Table 2.4.2. Summary of screening and response rates, by remoteness and community/non-community sample

	Remote community	Remote non-community	Non-remote non-community	Non-remote community	Total remote	Total non-remote	Total community	Total non-community	Australia
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Screening rate(a)	na	12.9	2.4	na	na	na	na	2.9	na
Response rate(b)	89.4	76.8	78.2	72.6	83.8	78.1	88.6	77.9	80.3

na not applicable
(a) Households identified with a member who is of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin, as a proportion of households screened.
(b) Households where at least one person completed the personal interview, as a proportion of identified households approached for interview (excluding those unable to be contacted after screening).

Some survey respondents provided most of the required information, but were unable or unwilling to provide a response to certain data items. The records for these persons were retained in the sample and the missing values were recorded as 'don't know' or 'not stated'. No attempt was made to deduce or impute for these missing values. An exception of this was for household income. Household income is calculated by adding the sum of the individual incomes of all persons in the household aged 15 years and over. For selected persons this is part of the personal interview, and for other non-selected household members this is asked of the household spokesperson. If the household spokesperson reported that a household member receives only Newstart, disability support pension, age pension or a carers payment but reported a 'don't know' or 'refusal' for the income amount, these values were imputed as the maximum allowable fortnightly pension amount based on relationship status using A Guide to Australian Government payments, 1 January - 19 March 2015.