Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Health Survey for England (HSE) is a series of surveys designed to monitor trends in the nation's health. It was commissioned by NHS Digital and carried out by the Joint Health Surveys Unit of the National Centre for Social Research and the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London.The aims of the HSE series are:to provide annual data about the nation’s health;to estimate the proportion of people in England with specified health conditions;to estimate the prevalence of certain risk factors associated with these conditions;to examine differences between population subgroups in their likelihood of having specific conditions or risk factors;to assess the frequency with which particular combinations of risk factors are found, and which groups these combinations most commonly occur;to monitor progress towards selected health targetssince 1995, to measure the height of children at different ages, replacing the National Study of Health and Growth;since 1995, monitor the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children.The survey includes a number of core questions every year but also focuses on different health issues at each wave. Topics are revisited at appropriate intervals in order to monitor change. Further information about the series may be found on the NHS Digital Health Survey for England; health, social care and lifestyles webpage, the NatCen Social Research NatCen Health Survey for England webpage and the University College London Health and Social Surveys Research Group UCL Health Survey for England webpage. Changes to the HSE from 2015:Users should note that from 2015 survey onwards, only the individual data file is available under standard End User Licence (EUL). The household data file is now only included in the Special Licence (SL) version, released from 2015 onwards. In addition, the SL individual file contains all the variables included in the HSE EUL dataset, plus others, including variables removed from the EUL version after the NHS Digital disclosure review. The SL HSE is subject to more restrictive access conditions than the EUL version (see Access information). Users are advised to obtain the EUL version to see if it meets their needs before considering an application for the SL version.
The Health Survey for England, 2000 (HSE00) consisted of two samples. The general population sample was a national cross-section sample. Up to two children aged 2-15 years were interviewed in each household, as well as up to 10 adults aged 16 years and over. All private households in the general population sample were eligible for inclusion in the survey (up to a maximum of three households per address). Running alongside the general population sample was a care homes sample, selected from the Laing and Bussion database. The sample contained nursing, residential, dual-registered and small residential homes and covered local authority, voluntary and privately-owned care homes. Up to six people aged 65 and over were selected for interview at each care home, and given a cognitive functioning test to see whether they were capable of being interviewed in person. Proxy interviews for those who were not capable of being interviewed were introduced in June 2000. For the fourth edition (July 2011), the GHQ12 variables were amended to correct errors in the GHQ12 scores. See document 'Note about GHQ12 problems in HSE Data' for details.
Main Topics:
The interview with informants from the general population sample included the question modules that are asked in most years in the Health Survey ('core' modules), such as general health and longstanding illnesses, use of health services, cigarette smoking, psycho-social health (GHQ12) and accidents. Also included in the 2000 survey were questions on disability (a repeat of the module used in the 1995 Health Survey), the Short-Form Health Outcomes (SF-12) questionnaire (for informants aged 16-64) and a new module on social capital and social exclusion. In addition to the 'core' question modules outlined above, informants in care homes were asked questions about cardiovascular disease (CVD) and respiratory symptoms, eating habits, physical activity and activities in the care home. The disability module was also included in the care home sample interview. A short interview with home managers included details about the type of care home, the number of residents and the availability of services and specialised equipment. Some administrative data and geographic identifiers have been removed from the dataset. Standard Measures:General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12) - copyright David Goldberg, 1978 reproduced by permission of NFER - NELSONMedical Research Council respiratory questionnaireStrengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)Short-Form Health Outcomes (SF12) questionnaire
Multi-stage stratified random sample
Face-to-face interview
Self-completion
Clinical measurements
Physical measurements
CAPI
