Review of 2021 Census Topics

Response 675779404

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What is your submission about?

Please provide a brief summary of your submission

Topic name
I would like to see the addition of a health question in the Census on self rated health. Small area data of this type would be beneficial to the geographic analysis of disparities in health and wellbeing, which could inform research, policy and targeted service provision. Rising health costs are an issue of national importance and better data to inform our understanding of health and wellbeing of populations at the small area level would be beneficial to better understanding health need and implementing smarter more targeted and efficient responses to those needs.

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Ticked Other topic
If Other topic please specify
Health

Assessment Criteria 1

1. This topic is of current national importance.

National Importance
Rising health costs are a national issue and small area health data on self rated health could provide a national picture of health and wellness in the community and inform service planning and health policy. For example, providing care for our increasingly large ageing and frail population could be informed by the inclusion of this type of question.

Assessment Criteria 2

2. There is a need for data from a Census of the whole population.

For whole population
Small area spatial analysis of population health can be used to inform health service delivery to ensure health services are accessible to the community that needs them. This type of analysis is not supported by survey data.

Assessment Criteria 3

3. The topic can be accurately collected in a form which the household completes themselves.

Easy to answer
Self rated health measures are currently used in health surveys administered by the ABS, making them validated questions ready for inclusion in the census.

Assessment Criteria 4

4. The topic would be acceptable to Census respondents.

Acceptable
It is a general question that is not likely to cause offense.

Assessment Criteria 5

5. The topic can be collected efficiently.

Collected efficiently
Use the same question as that used for the Australian Health Survey (shown below).

SF12_Q02
In general would you say that
[your/(selected person name)’s] health is
excellent, very good, good, fair or poor?
1. Excellent
2. Very good
3. Good
4. Fair
5. Poor

Assessment Criteria 6

6. There is likely to be a continuing need for data on this topic in the following Census.

Continuing need
Population health and wellbeing across all areas of Australia is a fundamental concern of all levels of government. Continued collection of this type of data over future censuses would facilitate the evaluation and monitoring of changes to self rated health in conjunction with changing populations, health policy and health services.

Assessment Criteria 7

7. There are no other alternative data sources or solutions that could meet the topic need.

No alternatives
The only available data of this type is survey data which is not suitable for small area spatial analysis.