Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.Background to the series The Welsh Health Survey (WHS), which ran from 1995-1998 and then from 2003/04-2015, collected information about the health of people living in Wales, the way they use health services, and the factors that can affect their health. The WHS ceased in 2015. From April 2016 health and health related lifestyles are reported on using the National Survey for Wales. The first two survey years (1995, not held at the UK Data Archive, and 1998 (SN 4176))were carried out by a consortium comprising the National Centre for Social Research (now NatCen Social Research), Beaufort Research Limited, and the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London. From 2005/06 onwards, NatCen Social Research had sole responsibility for conducting the survey. For further details, see documentation. Aims of the WHS: The WHS was designed to:provide estimates of health status, health determinants and health service usecontribute to setting and monitoring targets and indicators in the health strategies and National Service Frameworksexamine differences between population subgroups (such as sex, age, social class) and local areasprovide a direct measurement of need for health care for National Health Service resource allocation in Walesprovide local health board- and local authority-level information for the development of joint local health, social care and well-being strategiesThe WHS is based on a representative sample of adults aged 16 and over living in private households in Wales. In addition, up to two children aged 0 to 15 were randomly selected from each household. For further details, see documentation. Differences between the standard access End User Licence version and the Special Licence access version: The standard access End User Licence WHS does not include unitary authority, strata and PSU as these variables pose a potential risk of disclosure. These variables are included in the Special Licence access versions from 2003/04 onwards. For further information on how to make an application for the Special Licence data, see the ACCESS section. Further information: Further information, including links to publications, may be found on the Welsh Assembly Government's Welsh Health Survey web pages and the NatCen Social Research Welsh Health Survey webpage.
The current WHS replaced two previous surveys; the former Welsh Health Survey (undertaken in 1995 and 1998) and the former Health in Wales Survey (undertaken every two to three years between 1985 and 1996). Results from this survey are not comparable with those from the previous surveys because of differences in the questionnaires and survey methodology. The Special Licence data provides users access to Unitary Authorities and was designed to be used with the standard data for that year. The EUL version of the WHS 2015 is held at the UK Data Archive under SN 8090.
Main Topics:
Main topics covered in the Special Licence WHS 2015 data include: Unitary Authority and individual serial number unique for survey year and respondent. Special Licence datasets to be linked with standard (EUL) Welsh Health data available under SN 8090.
One-stage stratified or systematic random sample
Face-to-face interview
Self-completion
Clinical measurements
Physical measurements
