ACT General Health Survey

ACT Health has been conducting the annual ACT General Health Survey with randomly selected households in the ACT since 2007. The survey collects information about the health and lifestyles of ACT residents.

ACT General Health Survey

You may be selected to participate in the ACT General Health Survey during October and December.

Since 2007, ACT Health has been conducting this phone survey yearly with randomly selected participants to collect information about the health, lifestyles and wellbeing of ACT residents.

Survey dates

The survey starts in early October and runs through until early December. The survey time may be extended if we haven’t reached our target of interviews.

The survey is important

The ongoing collection of information on health status and behaviours is used to plan and develop public health programs and policies.

The survey is important because national health surveys tend to only include a small number of people from the ACT, and so can’t always be used to accurately describe the health status of the ACT population.

The survey explained

ACT Health has appointed the Social Research Centre to conduct the survey. They are part of the Australian National University.

If you are selected, you will receive a phone call from a trained interviewer to ask you to participate.

The survey takes around 20 minutes to complete. You can also take part at a time that is convenient for you.

The survey is not compulsory

The survey is not compulsory. It is important that we speak to as many people as possible to ensure the survey results accurately reflect the views and experiences of the ACT community.

This is a phone survey

The survey is currently conducted by phone. Future surveys may be conducted online.

Who can participate

Only randomly-selected participants are eligible to take part in this survey. This will ensure that our sample represents the ACT community.

Information collected

You will be asked questions about your (and your child’s, if applicable) health, including self-rated health, life satisfaction and wellbeing, oral health, nutrition, physical activity, height and weight and mental health. You will also be asked about your alcohol consumption, tobacco and e-cigarette use.

Results from previous surveys

The results are available on the statistics and indicators page.

Obtaining phone numbers

Your mobile number was obtained for this research from the Integrated Public Number Database, a list of all mobile numbers in Australia, with the authorisation of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

The ACMA is an independent Australian Government authority established by law that regulates communications and media services in Australia. You can visit the ACMA website to learn more.

Privacy and security

All information you provide will be treated in strict confidence. The results will only be used for planning and research purposes. The survey has been approved by the ACT Health Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC).

If you have any concerns or complaints about the survey, contact the HREC secretariat by calling 02 5124 3949 or 02 5124 5659 or by email to ethics@act.gov.au.

Data from the survey are reported in the Chief Health Officer’s Report and are available on the statistics and indicators page.

The data also contributes to various ACT Government reports, including the ACT Wellbeing Framework and the Children and Young People Lens of the ACT Wellbeing Framework.

Questionnaires

Download the survey questionnaires:

First results reports

For more information, email HealthSurvey@act.gov.au.