Health Survey For England
Encyclopedia
The Health Survey for England (HES) is a statistical survey
which is conducted annually in order to collect information concerning health and health-related behaviour of people living in private households in England
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Besides certain core questions that remain unchanged, the focus of the HES changes every year to a different topic. These boost samples are repeated in appropriate intervals to assure continuity and to monitor change. Since 1991, the following topics have been in the focus of the HES:
From 1991 to 1995 the HES was restricted to adults aged 16 and over but that changed in 1995 when children aged 2–15 were equally included in the survey. Since 2001, the age restrictions were removed completely except for topics only targeting a certain population group.
(ESDS) website.
Statistical survey
Survey methodology is the field that studies surveys, that is, the sample of individuals from a population with a view towards making statistical inferences about the population using the sample. Polls about public opinion, such as political beliefs, are reported in the news media in democracies....
which is conducted annually in order to collect information concerning health and health-related behaviour of people living in private households in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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History
The HES was originally set up in 1991 to provide information about morbidity with the aim of improving the targeting of national health policies. From 1991 to 1994, the survey was conducted by the Office for Population Censuses and Surveys which is now part of the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This changed in 1994 and the survey is now conducted by the Joint Survey Unit of the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College LondonUniversity College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
Besides certain core questions that remain unchanged, the focus of the HES changes every year to a different topic. These boost samples are repeated in appropriate intervals to assure continuity and to monitor change. Since 1991, the following topics have been in the focus of the HES:
- 1993 cardiovascular diseaseCardiovascular diseaseHeart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...
- 1994 cardiovascular disease
- 1995 asthmaAsthmaAsthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, accidents and disabilityDisabilityA disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped... - 1996 asthma, accidents and special measures of general health
- 1997 children and young people
- 1998 cardiovascular disease
- 1999 ethnic groups
- 2000 older people and social exclusionSocial exclusionSocial exclusion is a concept used in many parts of the world to characterise contemporary forms of social disadvantage. Dr. Lynn Todman, director of the Institute on Social Exclusion at the Adler School of Professional Psychology, suggests that social exclusion refers to processes in which...
- 2001 respiratory diseaseRespiratory diseaseRespiratory disease is a medical term that encompasses pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange possible in higher organisms, and includes conditions of the upper respiratory tract, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, pleura and pleural cavity, and the...
and atopic conditions, disability and non-fatal accidents - 2002 children and young people (aged 0–24)
- 2003 cardiovascular disease
- 2004 ethnic minority groups
- 2005 older people
- 2006 cardiovascular disease
From 1991 to 1995 the HES was restricted to adults aged 16 and over but that changed in 1995 when children aged 2–15 were equally included in the survey. Since 2001, the age restrictions were removed completely except for topics only targeting a certain population group.
Methodology and scope
The HES looks at a sample of about 16,000 adults and 4,000 children and the information is collected by interviews with all eligible people of a household, followed by a nurse’s visit. Persons aged 13 and over are interviewed directly whereas information about children under 13 is given by the parents while the children are present. The physical measurements taken include a blood sample.Survey results
The main findings of the HES are published annually in the form of a report by the NHS Information Centre and the ONS. The 2007 version is available online here.Re-using the data
The data and additional study information is available to download at the Economic and Social Data ServiceEconomic and Social Data Service
The Economic and Social Data Service is a national data archiving and dissemination service that was founded in January 2003. It is funded jointly by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Joint Information Systems Committee ....
(ESDS) website.