Health Surveys User Group 9 July 2009 Welsh Health Survey: an update Cath Roberts, Welsh Assembly Government Melanie Doyle, NatCen

Overview & some results Cath Roberts, Anne Kingdon, Ben Crudge Welsh Assembly Government

Background Survey on health and health-related lifestyle of people living in Wales Started 2003, runs every year. Conducted by NatCen Covers approx 14,000 adults and 3,000 children per year Mode of data collection: –Short household interview –Adult self-completion questionnaire (all adults in h-hold) –Child self-completion questionnaire (up to 2 children) –Child height & weight measurements –Interviewer pick-up of questionnaires

Background (2) Estimates for Wales as a whole, and for sub-groups, eg : –Age & sex –Social class (NS-SEC) –Deprivation quintiles –Local authorities –Other geographies / sub-groups

Topics Illnesses & other conditions Health status (SF-36 adults, SDQ children) Smoking (adults only) Alcohol consumption (adults only) Fruit & vegetables (adults) / Eating habits (children) Physical activity Height & weight Health service use Demographic / socio-economic info (age, sex, ethnicity, geography, economic status, qualifications, NS-SEC, housing tenure)

Selected illness & conditions (adults), 2008

Adults being treated for any illness, by age & sex

Limiting long-term illness (adult), by deprivation

Health-related lifestyle (adults), % adults smoked 45% drank above guidelines (28% binge drink) 36% ate 5+ portions fruit & veg 30% met physical activity guidelines 57% overweight / obese (21% obese)

Adult smoking by social class (NS-SEC)

Trend in obesity (adults)

Reports & analyses Annual report / local authority bulletin Ad hoc bulletins / analyses (eg vision impaired; carers; rural / urban…) Secondary analysis by other users (eg social capital and health; social status, area characteristics and health; mental illness needs index... ) Datasets available through UK data archive

Further information

Welsh Health Survey Evaluation Josie Dixon, Melanie Doyle, Katharine Sadler Background Methodology Telephone interview Web based evaluation Key findings Conclusions

WHS evaluation: Background Welsh Health Survey (WHS) 2003 Topic coverage 5 years of data now available on archive Evaluation designed to assess: Current use Shortcomings in survey method and content Future needs of data users

Methodology: Sample List of around 200 data users compiled by Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) Included data users from: WAG local government NHS Academia ESDS users Open to all Range and diversity

Methodology: Telephone interview Core group 26 users invited to take part Advance letter Fieldwork: December 2008 – February 2009 Telephone interview, minutes, covering: Health interests and use of WHS data Information needs not met by WHS data Interest in trends data Subgroup and sub-Wales analysis

Methodology: Web based evaluation Web based evaluation in English and Welsh Dedicated website Wider group of informants invited to take part Valid address required to complete Took minutes to complete, covering: Health interests and use of WHS data Information needs not met by WHS data Subgroup and sub-Wales analyses

Response profile Telephone evaluation Web evaluation WAG926 Local govt38 NHS57 Academic313 Other010 TOTAL2064

Use and priorities of WHS data Positive feedback - WHS works well to meet user needs Contextual information Informing political debate Developing and monitoring strategies, plans and policies Ongoing monitoring, highlighting hidden issues Resource allocation Academic research and teaching

Feedback and conclusions Topic coverage Lifestyle and health behaviour Health and wellbeing Use of health services Disease prevalence Conclusions Duplication / trends Additional topics

Feedback and conclusions Sample design Sample size Subgroups Geography Conclusions Sample design Geography

Feedback and conclusions Dissemination Findings Data Timing Conclusions Publications Data availability / awareness

Summary Useful exercise that provided good feedback about range and diversity of user needs Positive feedback overall, indicated survey is working well to meet user needs Areas where survey could be extended to add value or meet future needs, eg data linkage Increased awareness of results and available data seen as key aspect for future change

Health Surveys User Group 9 July 2009 Welsh Health Survey: an update Cath Roberts, Welsh Assembly Government Melanie Doyle, NatCen