Sample representativeness and characteristics
In 2010, a total of 12,439 interviews were completed, including 10,245 adults aged 16 years or over, with at least 1,195 adults interviewed from each stratum (area health service). However, when the sample was allocated to the new LHDs, there were uneven samples ranging from 438 to 1,211 for 14 LHDs and 107 for the Far West LHD. Caution needs to be taken when interpreting estimates for the Far West LHD, due to the small sample size. The overall participation rate was 57.2 per cent (the number of completed interviews divided by the sum of the number of completed interviews and the number of refusals).
In 2010, adult males were under-represented in the survey, making up 40.3 per cent of the sample, compared with 49.5 per cent of the overall residential population of New South Wales. Conversely, females were over-represented, making up 59.7 per cent of the sample, compared with 50.5 per cent of the overall residential population of New South Wales. Males aged 54 years or younger and females aged 44 years and under were under-represented in the sample, while males aged 55 years or over and females aged 45 years and over were over-represented in the sample.[1] Comparisons of the distribution of the survey sample and that of the overall residential population are shown in the table "Survey sample size and NSW population by age group and sex". After weighting, the age and sex distribution of the weighted survey sample reflected that of the overall residential population of New South Wales.
Aboriginal people comprised 2.3 per cent of the weighted sample, which is similar to their representation in the overall residential population of New South Wales (2.2 per cent),[2] and people born in Australia comprised 76.3 per cent of the sample, which is slightly higher than their representation in the overall residential population of New South Wales (69.0 per cent).[3]
Of the interviews completed with adults aged 16 years and over, 94.4 per cent were conducted in English, 2.5 per cent were completed in Chinese, 1.3 per cent were completed in Vietnamese, 1.1 per cent were completed in Arabic, 0.5 per cent were completed in Greek, and 0.2 per cent were completed in Italian.
Of the interviews completed with adults aged 16 years and over, 57.5 per cent were with married respondents, 5.0 per cent were with widowed respondents, 2.4 per cent were with separated respondents who were not divorced, 5.5 per cent were with divorced respondents, and 29.6 per cent of respondents had never been married.
Of the interviews completed with adults aged 16 years and over, 41.3 per cent were with respondents with an income of more than $80,000 a year, 13.8 per cent were with respondents with an income of $60,001 to $80,000 a year, 13.9 per cent were with respondents with an income of $40,001 to $60,000 a year, 16.8 per cent were with respondents with an income of $20,001 to $40,000 a year, and 14.2 per cent were with respondents with an income of less than $20,000 a year.
When the ARIA+ remoteness measure was applied to the sample, 65.6 per cent of adults lived in major cities, 22.3 per cent were classified as inner regional, 11.3 per cent were classified as outer regional, 0.8 per cent were classified as remote, and 0.1 per cent were classified as very remote.
References
- ABS estimated residential population for mid-year 2010 (HOIST). Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Department of Health.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. Population Characteristics: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, New South Wales, 2006. Catalogue No. 4713.1.55.001. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010. For further information visit www.abs.gov.au.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2006 Census QuickStats: New South Wales. Canberra: ABS, 2007. For further information visit www.abs.gov.au.
Graphs
- Age distribution of unweighted survey sample versus NSW population by sex
- Survey sample size and NSW population by age group and sex
- Socioeconomic Index (SEIFA) quintile
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin
- Survey conducted in languages other than English
- Country of birth
- Languages other than English spoken at home
- Formal marital status
- Household income
- Accessibility-Remoteness Index of Australia Plus (ARIA+)
| Source: | New South Wales Population Health Survey 2010 (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 August 2011 |