Health Survey for England - Major studies
General - Health
Nutrition - Health
Physical fitness and exercise - Health
Health services and medical care - Health
The Health Survey for England (HSE) series is designed to monitor trends in the nation's health. The study provides regular information that cannot be obtained from other sources on a range of aspects concerning the public's health and many of the factors that affect health. The aims of the series are:- to provide annual data about the nation's health
- to estimate the proportion of people in England with specified health conditions
- to estimate the prevalence of certain risk factors associated with these conditions
- to examine differences between population subgroups in their likelihood of having specific conditions or risk factors
- to assess the frequency with which particular combinations of risk factors are found, and which groups these combinations most commonly occur
- to monitor progress towards selected health targets
- since 1995, to measure the height of children at different ages, replacing the National Study of Health and Growth, and to monitor the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children
The survey focuses on different health issues each year, although a number of core questions are included every year. Topics are revisited at appropriate intervals in order to monitor change:- in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2003, 2006 and 2011, the survey focused on cardiovascular disease and associated risk factors
- in 1995 and 1996, the major focus of the survey was atopic disease (including asthma and eczema), accidents and disability
- in 1997 the survey report focused on the health of young people aged 2-24 years, and combined data (in report format only) from the 1995-1997 surveys
- in 1999 and again in 2004, the focus was on the health of minority ethnic groups. The boost sample was designed solely to yield additional interviews with members of the most populous minority ethnic groups: Black Caribbean, Black African (covered in 2004 only), Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese and Irish
- in 2000 and 2005, the survey focused on the health of older people; the HSE 2000 included a sample of care home residents, whereas HSE 2005 included a boost sample of people aged 65 and over resident in private households
- the 2001 survey included for the first time questions on fruit and vegetable consumption
- the 2002 survey focused on children, young people and maternal health, and included a boost sample of young people aged 0 to 24 years and mothers of infants aged under one year
- the 2007 survey focused on knowledge and attitudes towards key aspects of lifestyle, and monitoring any impact from the 2007 smokefree legislation
- the 2008 survey primary focus was physical activity and fitness
- the 2009 survey focused on long-term health conditions and self-assessed general health. In addition it looked at the effectiveness and use of personal care plans
- the 2010 survey focused on respiratory disease and lung function, with additional questions on contraception and sexual health, well-being, kidney disease and dental health
Further information about the series may be found on the Information Centre for Health and Social Care (search for 'Health Survey for England') and NatCen Social Research Health Survey for England web pages.
Three teaching datasets based on the HSE have been produced, all held at the UK Data Archive: SN 5033 Health Survey for England, 2002: Teaching Dataset; SN 6765 Health Survey for England, 2003-2005: Multilevel Modelling Teaching Dataset, and SN 6792 Health Survey for England, 2000-2001: Small Area Estimation Teaching Dataset.
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The HSE 2007 was designed to provide data at both national and regional level about the population living in private households in England. The sample comprised two components; the core (general population) sample and a boost sample of children aged 2-15. The core sample was designed to be representative of the population living in private households in England and should be used for analyses at the national level.
For the HSE core sample, all adults aged 16 years or older at each household were selected for the interview (up to a maximum of ten adults). However, a limit of two was placed on the number of interviews carried out with children aged 0-15. For households with three or more children, interviewers selected two children at random. At boost addresses interviewers screened for households containing at least one child aged 2-15 years. For households which included eligible children, up to two were selected by the interviewer for inclusion in the survey. Interviewing was conducted throughout the year to take account of seasonal differences.
For the second edition (April 2010), three new children's Body Mass Index (BMI) variables have been added to the individual data file (bmicat1, bmicat2, bmicat3). The original variables (bmicut1, bmicut2, bmicut3) are unreliable and should not be used. Further information is available in the documentation and on the Information Centre for Health and Social Care Health Survey for England web page.
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Main Topics:
For adult respondents, the HSE 2007 focused on knowledge, attitudes and behaviour on key aspects of lifestyle - smoking, drinking, eating and physical activity. Both adults and children were asked about their views on what constitutes healthy behaviour, their knowledge of government recommendations and the factors that may encourage or discourage healthy behaviour.
A secondary focus was the impact of the smokefree legislation. The 2007 survey allowed an initial examination of the effect of the legislation by looking at adults' and children's smoking behaviour and their exposure to other people's smoke, pre and post 1 July 2007 (the date the legislation came into effect). As well as questions being asked, saliva samples were taken and tested for cotinine, an indicator of recent nicotine exposure.
Questionnaire interviews were followed by a nurse visit, both using computer assisted interviewing (CAPI) and self completion booklets. Parents of children aged 0-12 years were asked about their children, with the child interview including questions on physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption. Children aged 13-15 were interviewed themselves.
Standard Measures: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
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Breeze, E., et al. (1994) Health Survey for England 1992, London: HMSO.
Bennett, N., et al. (1995) Health Survey for England 1993, London: HMSO.
Colhoun, H. and Prescott-Clarke, P. (eds.) (1996) Health Survey for England 1994, 2v. London: HMSO. ISBN 011 321 8958.
Prescott-Clarke, P. and Primatesta, P. (eds.) (1997) Health Survey for England 1995, 2v. London: HMSO. ISBN 011 3220219.
Prescott-Clarke, P. and Primatesta, P. (eds.) (1998) Health Survey for England 1996, 2v. London: HMSO. ISBN 011322091X.
Prescott-Clarke, P. and Primatesta, P. (eds.) (1998) Health Survey for England: the health of young people '95-97 2 vols., London: The Stationery Office. ISBN 0113222661.
Erens, B. and Primatesta, P. (eds.) (1999) Health Survey for England: cardiovascular disease '98, volumes I and II, London: The Stationery Office. ISBN 0113223072.
Erens, B., Primatesta, P. and Prior, G. (eds.) (2000) Health Survey for England: the health of minority ethnic groups 1999, volumes I and II, London: The Stationery Office. ISBN 0113224486.
Falaschetti, E., Malbut, K. and Primatesta P. (2002) Health Survey for England 2000: the general health of older people and their use of health services, London: The Stationery Office.
Hirani, V. and Malbut, K. (2002) Health Survey for England 2000: disability among older people, London: The Stationery Office.
Tait, C. and Fuller, E. (2002) Health Survey for England 2000: psychosocial well-being among older people, London: The Stationery Office.
Bajekal, M. (2002) Health Survey for England 2000: care homes and their residents, London: The Stationery Office.
Boreham, R., Stafford, M. and Taylor R. (2002) Health Survey for England 2000: social capital and health, London: The Stationery Office.
Prior, G., et al. (2002) Health Survey for England 2000: methodology and documentation, London: The Stationery Office.
Bajekal, M. and Purdon, S. (2002) Social capital and social exclusion: development of a condensed module for the Health Survey for England, London: The Stationery Office.
Elam, G., McMunn, A. and Nazroo J. (2002) Feasibility study for health surveys among black African people living in England: final report - implications for the Health Survey for England 2003, London: The Stationery Office.
Malbut K. and Falaschetti E. (2003) Health Survey for England 2001: non-fatal accidents, London: The Stationery Office.
Bajekal M. and Prescott, A. (2003) Health Survey for England 2001: disability, London: The Stationery Office.
Primatesta P. and Stamakatakis (2003) Health Survey for England 2001: respiratory symptoms, atopic conditions and lung function, London: The Stationery Office.
Doyle M. and Hosfield N. (2003) Health Survey for England 2001: fruit and vegetable consumption, London: The Stationery Office.
Prior G., et al. (2003) Health Survey for England 2001: methodology and documentation, London: The Stationery Office.
Sproston, K. and Primatesta, P. (eds.) (2003) Health Survey for England 2002: volume 1: the health of children and young people, London: The Stationery Office.
Sproston, K. and Primatesta, P. (eds.) (2003) Health Survey for England 2002: volume 2: maternal and infant health, London: The Stationery Office.
Sproston, K. and Primatesta, P. (eds.) (2003) Health Survey for England 2002: volume 3: methodology and documentation, London: The Stationery Office.
Sproston K. and Primatesta P. (eds.) (2004) Health Survey for England 2003 volume 1: cardiovascular disease, London: The Stationery Office.
Sproston K. and Primatesta P. (eds.) (2004) Health Survey for England 2003 volume 2: risk factors for cardiovascular disease, London: The Stationery Office.
Sproston K. and Primatesta P. (eds.) (2004) Health Survey for England 2003 volume 3: methodology and documentation, London: The Stationery Office.
Publications based on the HSE may be found on the NHS Information Centre (a publications search will find reports and including trend tables) and the NatCen Social Research HSE webpages.
