Results for all NSW School Students Health Behaviours Surveys
Since 2002, the triennial NSW School Students Health Behaviours Survey has been conducted as part of the Cancer Council Victoria's Australian School Students Alcohol and Drugs Survey, which began in 1984. In NSW, the survey is conducted with the permission of the NSW Department of Education and Training, the Catholic Education Office, and the Association of Independent Schools.
The survey uses a self-administered questionnaire, completed anonymously by students aged 12-17 years, which includes questions on nutrition and eating, height and weight (including perception of body mass), physical activity, injury, psychological distress, sun protection, alcohol, tobacco, and substance use. The questionnaire and survey procedures are approved by the ethics committees of the Cancer Council Victoria, the NSW Ministry of Health, the Cancer Institute NSW, and the NSW Department of Education.
Respondents are selected using a 2-stage probability sample: schools are selected during the first stage; students are selected during the second stage. The aim is to survey 80 students from each participating school. The final sample is representative of each school strata: Government, Catholic, and Independent. A brochure and consent form are sent to the parents of each selected student. Only students with parental consent are surveyed.
The survey data are weighted to bring the final sample into line with the population distribution.
There is a wealth of information in the survey that may be of interest to researchers. For this reason, the NSW Ministry of Health encourages further analysis of survey data. Authorised users can access these data through Secure Analytics for Population Health Research and Intelligence (SAPHaRI). Other researchers should lodge a data request with the Chief Health Officer stating the aim of the research and the required variables.
