Health Interview Survey

Summary

Strengths A first strength relates to the survey’s content. A wide range of health items is questioned, resulting in an extensive picture of the health status and the health care use of the Belgian population. The inclusion of socio-demographic and socio-economic variables makes it possible to assess the existence of social inequalities with regards to health and health care use. Furthermore, the comparability of the Belgian Health Income Survey with other international health related surveys makes it available for international comparison. For this purpose, the Belgian Health Income Survey is included in the European Health Surveys Information Database (EUHSID), an inventory of national or multi-country health surveys in the EU, EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries, EU Candidate Countries and the USA, Canada and Australia (www.euhsid.org). A second strength of the Health Income Survey refers to the composition of the sample, and more specifically to (1) the oversampling of the elderly population in the 2004 and 2008 waves of data collection, and (2) the inclusion of elderly permanently residing in residential care facilities. The recurrent character of the Health Income Survey, with rounds of data collection every 4 years, allows for evolutions in the health status and health care use of the Belgian population to be monitored. In addition, it enhances possibilities to assess the influence of policy changes during subsequent research waves. Weaknesses A weakness of the survey relates to the content of the data collection. In the Health Income Survey, respondents are asked to report about their health problems. However, one could include more objective techniques to gather health status information (e.g. registration of the respondent’s blood pressure, height and weight).

Type of data

Data Source
Survey

Type of Study
Survey different

Data gathering method
Face-to-face
Self administered questionnaire
Other: Proxy interviews are used to interview older individuals not capable of answering themselves.

Access to data

Conditions of access
Microdata are accessible via downloadable files available upon request (both for use by administrations, academic and non-academic scientific research). The online interactive analysis module is freely available for a wider audience.

Type of available data (e.g. anonymised microdata, aggregated tables, etc.)
Anonymised microdata; aggregated tables in online module

Formats available
SAS, SPSS, STATA

Coverage

Coverage Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes
Wave 1: Data was collected in 1997, reference year was 1997, and the sample size was 10,221. Wave 2: Data was collected in 2001, reference year was 2001, and the sample size was 12,050. Wave 3: The data was collected in 2004, reference year was 2004, and the sample size was 12, 945. Wave 4: The data was collected in 2008, reference year was 2008, and the sample size was 11,254. Wave 5: The data was collected in 2013 and the reference year was 2013. The survey is still in progress and therefore, the sample size is still unknown.

First year of collection
1997

Stratification if applicable
In all research waves, the sample was stratified by region (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region). The samples were stratified by province in wave 2 (2001, German speaking Community, Antwerp, Limburg, Hainaut and Luxembourg), wave 3 (2004, German speaking Community, Limburg and Luxembourg) and in wave 4 (2008,German speaking Community). The samples have been stratified by age during wave 4 (2004, 65 years and over) and wave 5 (2008, 75 years and over).

Base used for sampling

Geographical coverage and breakdowns
Belgium, breakdown by region (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels Capital Region)

Age range
Population aged 15 years and over

Statistical representativeness
Population representative

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics
For Belgium, the Health Income Survey is the single most important dataset to study health and performance of the elderly population (e.g. the questionnaire contains several items on subjective and objective health status, health status and lifestyle, the use of health and social care). In addition, the dataset can be used to evaluate wellbeing (e.g. the role of health and access to health care in the wellbeing of older people, and how this compares with younger people).

Linkage

Standardisation
Standardised instruments of the World Health Organisation’s working group on the ‘Harmonisation of methods and instruments in health interview surveys’ are used, as well as alternative instruments and scales already used in similar health interview surveys (either in Belgium or abroad). Official translations of specific terms are also available.

Possibility of linkage among databases
National Register numbers are not provided to external researchers in order to protect the privacy of the participating households. However, linkages with other databases are possible since interview information can be linked to the National Register number of the participating individuals. In doing so, collaboration with the Scientific Institute for Public Health, Statistics Belgium and the Crossroads Bank for Social Security `Kruispuntbank van de Sociale Zekerheid / Banque Carrefour de la Sécurité Sociale` is necessary.

Data quality

Entry errors if applicable
Until 2008, data were collected via face-to-face, paper-and-pencil questionnaires (PAPI). An extensive manual is provided for the data entry operators. After the data input, a vertical and horizontal control procedure are executed to compensate for errors in the data collection and the data entry. We have no knowledge of the extent to which data are found to be incomplete or redundant after the data collection. In the most recent round of data collection (2013), CAPI (computer-assisted personal interviewing) is used for the data collection, thus decreasing the risk for errors in the data collection.

Breaks

Consistency of terminology or coding used during collection

Governance

Contact information
Jean Tafforeau
Scientific Institute for Public Health
Rue Juliette Wytsman, 14
1050 Brussels Belgium Phone: +32 2 6425111
Email: his(at)wiv-isp.be
Url: his.wiv-isp.be

Timeliness, transparency
About two years between collection and publication of results