Foreword
I am pleased to present the 1997-2007 Report on older people from the New South Wales Population Health Survey, which provides information on the health of this important population group.
The report presents information on health behaviours, including: alcohol, cancer screening (colorectal), immunisation (influenza and pneumococcal), injury prevention (smoke alarms in the home), nutrition, and smoking (current smoking, smoke-free households, and smoke-free cars). This is followed by a chapter on health status, including: positive self-rated health, asthma (ever and current), cardiovascular disease precursors (blood pressure and cholesterol), diabetes or high blood glucose, urinary incontinence, injury (falls), mental health (psychological distress), oral health, hearing, and vision. Next there is a chapter on health services including: private health insurance, difficulties getting health care, emergency department presentations, hospital admissions, general practitioner services, public dental services, and community health centres. Finally, there is a chapter on social capital, including: participation in the local community, trust and safety, and reciprocity and neighbourhood connectedness.
In the PDF version of the report, indicators are presented for males and females by quintile of socioeconomic disadvantage and category of geographical remoteness. Further information is presented in the HTML version. Both the PDF and HTML versions can be obtained from the New South Wales Population Health Survey website at www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/survey/hsurvey.html.
This is a descriptive report and there is a wealth of information in the survey dataset that may be of specific interest. For these reasons we encourage as many people as possible to analyse the data further. For further analysis within a health area, data can be accessed through the Health Outcomes Information Statistical Toolkit (HOIST). For further analysis among health areas, or at a statewide level, a data request needs to be lodged with the NSW Department of Health.
Comments on the New South Wales Population Health Survey are welcome.
I thank all the individuals and organisations who contributed their time and expertise to assist with the development and conduct of the Survey between 1997 and 2007.
Kerry Chant
Acting Chief Health Officer and Deputy Director-General, Population Health
August 2008
| Source: | New South Wales Population Health Survey 2007 (HOIST). Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Department of Health. |
| Print version: | Although this page can be printed directly from your web browser, a higher quality version is available as a PDF file that can be printed or viewed on screen. |
| Produced by: | Centre for Epidemiology and Research, Population Health Division, NSW Department of Health. |
| Last updated on: | 1 July 2008 |