Self-Reported Health

Indicator Rationale

The Self Reported Health 2007 CIV indicator was calculated as a crude rate weighted according to the 2006 Estimate Resident population weights provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), whereas the Victorian Population Health Survey (VPHS) results from 2008 are age standardized.  Crude rates are useful for providing point estimates in one time period.  However crude rates cannot be compared across time periods as the underlying data will change as the population ages.  Age standardization takes the age component into account making indicator distributions comparable across time. Any other remaining changes to the indicator occurring over time after age standardization are the result of other trends or factors.  The results from the CIV 2007 and VPHS 2008 data should not be compared across time because of the different surveys, weighting and standardization techniques used on these two data-sets.

Data Source

Victorian Population Health Survey 2011

Community Indicators Victoria Survey 2007

Measure

People Self-Reporting Health as Excellent or Very Good: expressed as a percentage of the adult population.

A small number of survey respondents (representing 0.1% of the weighted survey estimates across Victoria, and less than 0.8% in every LGA) didn't know or refused to answer the survey question.  These respondents have been excluded from the data analysis.

Survey Question

QA2.  In general, would you say your health is...?  Excellent; Very good; Good; Fair; Poor.

Source of Question

This question on self-assessed health is taken from the SF36 (population norms).

Reference

Stewart, A. L., & Ware, J. E. (1992). Measuring functioning and well-being: The Medical Outcomes Study
approach. Durham, NC: Duke University Press