Monitoring health behaviours and health status in New South Wales: Release of the Adult Health Survey 2002

Abstract

In 2002, the NSW Department of Health, in conjunction with the 17 area health services, completed the first year of the New South Wales Continuous Health Survey. This is an ongoing survey of the health of people in NSW that uses computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). The main aims of the Continuous Health Survey are to provide detailed information on the health of the people of NSW, and to support the planning, implementation, and evaluation of health services and programs in NSW. Following the 1997 and 1998 health surveys, this is the third survey that has collected data on the health of adults in NSW. This article announces the release of the report of the New South Wales Adult Health Survey 2002 as a supplementary issue of the NSW Public Health Bulletin, and summarises changes in health behaviour, health status, and satisfaction with health services, which have occurred between 1997 and 2002.