Abstract
In order to ‘monitor the public health’ for a defined community, it is necessary that some means be available to assess the health of the population and, in particular, the need for health care. (The issue has already been discussed—see subsection 1.1.1.) One approach to identifying health care needs is to interview a sample of individuals and ask them questions about their social setting, their recognition of signs and symptoms of disease, their attitude to sickness and health care, and perhaps their contact with the health services in the recent past. The next chapter rounds out the important issue of which is the most appropriate method for obtaining such information from the population, and the rather contentious issue of the correct balance between routine statistics and surveys. This chapter provides a general consideration of the potential contribution of surveys. The desire to assess the health of a population has been expressed in different ways over the years. A vogue term is ‘health indicators’. Activity on indicators was foreshadowed in the work of the League of Nations before World War II (Stoutman and Falk, 1936). Because of the need to combine information from different sources into a general picture of the health of a population, the development of indicators is dealt with further in the next chapter (see Sections 11.2 and 11.3).
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10.4 Bibliography 10.4.1 Method
General texts on the subject Abramson (1984), Atkinson (1971), Cartwright (1959, 1983), Kleinbaum et al. (1982), Moser and Kalton (1971), Moss and Goldstein (1979), NCHS (1964, 1965b, 1977), Payne (1965), Sanders (1962), Survey Research Centre (1976), UN (1984b), WHO (1972c)
Use in planning Romeder (1977)
Survey error Hansen et al. (1961), Gullen et al. (1968)
Surveys in developing countries Kroeger (1985, 1986)
Continuing series, such as the Survey Methodology Bulletin and New Methodology Series produced and published by OPCS; Vital and Health Statistics, series 2, from NCHS.
10.4.2 Classification of Disability
Wood and Badley (1978), Williams (1979), WHO (1980e)
10.4.3 Validity 10.4.3.1 Factors Affecting Response Rate
Clausen and Ford (1947), Hill (1951), Cochrane (1954), Gray (1957), Kemsley and Nicholson (1960), Reader (1960), Scott (1961), Tiblin (1965), Markush (1966), Cartwright and Ward (1968), Gordon and Kannel (1968), Fink et al.
(1968), Mork (1970), Kaplan and Cole (1970), Kelsey and Acheson (1971), Harris et al. (1971), Gullen and Garrison (1973), Kemsley (1975), Morris (1975), Doll and Peto (1976), Goldstein (1976), Kemsley (1976), Newland et al. (1977), Cartwright (1978), Mullner et al (1982), Swenson (1984), Cartwright (1986 a,b)
10.4.3.2 Bias from Non-response
Cochrane (1954), Doll and Hill (1964), Tiblin (1965), McGregor et al. (1966), Osborn and Leyshon (1966), Pedersen (1966), Gordon and Kannell (1968), Sansom et al. (1970), Harris et al. (1971), Horowitz and Wilbeck (1971), Fink et al. (1972), Lambert (1972), Oakes et al. (1973), Doll and Peto (1976), Kemsley (1976), Wilhelmsen et al. (1976), Cartwright (1978), Sheik and Mattingly (1981), Silman and Locke (1982)
10.4.3.3 Subjects’ Responses
Influence of the characteristics of the interviewerColombotis et al. (1968), NCHS (1968), Kannel et al. (1969)
Subjects’ characteristics, such as age, marital status, ethnic group, etc.Farr (1841), Eckler and Hurwitz (1958), General Register Office (1968)
Reported height and weightStewart (1982), Palta et al. (1982)
Drinking Edwards et al (1973), Sobell et al. (1982), Bernadt et al. (1982)
Drug consumption Paganini-Hill and Ross (1982), Murray (1973)
Habitual leisure activity Yasin et al. (1967)
Sexual behaviour Armstrong (1980), Kunin and Ames (1981)
Smoking Todd (1966), Bewley et al. (1973), Holland and Elliott (1968), Israel et al. (1979), Todd (1978), Kozlowski et al. (1980), McKennell (1980)
Use of hospital resources NCHS (1965b,c,d), Vessey et al. (1974), Palmer et al. (1969), Brorsson and Smedby (1982)
Medical history, with or without a structured questionnaire NCHS (1965c, 1967b, 1973), Milne and Williamson (1971)
General health Hunt et al. (1981), Statistics Canada (1981), Watkins et al (1982), Tretli et al. (1982)
Anaemiade Maeyer and Adiels-Tegman (1985)
Cardiovascular symptoms Rose (1962), Rose and Blackburn (1968)
Dental health Gray et al. (1970)
Disability Garrad and Bennett (1971), Isaacs and Neville (1975), Peach et al. (1980), Williams et al. (1976)
Psychiatric symptoms Cooper et al. (1972), Goldberg (1972), WHO (1973b), Bollerup (1975)
Respiratory symptomsCochrane et al. (1951), Fairbairn et al. (1959), Sharpe et al. (1965), Fletcher and Tinker (1961), College of General Practitioners (1961), Cotes (1987)
Pregnancy history Tilley et al. (1985)
Venereal disease Fleming et al. (1970)
Use of hospital resources NCHS (1965b), Vessey et al. (1974), Palmer et al. (1969), Brorsson and Smedby (1982)
History of previous X-rays Kneale and Stewart (1980)
10.4.3.4 Examination
General aspects Feinstein (1964), NCHS (1965a)
Alimentary tract signs Graham et al. (1971)
Cardiovascular signs Raftery and Holland (1967), Meade et al. (1968)
Respiratory signs Godfrey et al. (1969)
10.4.3. Investigation
Blood pressure Boe et al. (1957), Rose et al. (1964), Armitage et al. (1966a,b), Gardner and Heady (1973)
Breast cancer examination Yorkshire Breast Group (1977), Chamberlain (1982)
Cytology Yule (1972, 1974), Husain et al. (1974)
Diet Marr (1965), NCHS (1965a), Hankin et al. (1975), Nomura et al. (1976), Jain et al (1980)
ECG Blackburn et al. (1960), Higgins et al. (1963)
Histology Beck (1985)
Laboratory investigations Whitehead (1974)
Respiratory function Wright and McKerrow (1959)
Skin-fold thickness Edwards et al. (1955), Ruiz et al. (1971)
X-ray Yerushalmy (1947), Boyd (1978)
10.4.4 Projection of Health Status
Lopez and Hakama (1986), Minder and Abelin (1986)
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© 1988 Michael Alderson
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Alderson, M. (1988). Health Surveys at National Level. In: Mortality, Morbidity and Health Statistics. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-09068-6_10
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