Health and Social Wellbeing Survey

The Northern Ireland Health and Social Wellbeing Survey was commissioned by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to periodically monitor the health and wellbeing of the Northern Ireland population. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), which is an Agency within the Department of Finance and Personnel, was commissioned to conduct the fieldwork for the survey.

The Survey was previously conducted in 1997 and 2001, and fieldwork on the most recent survey was completed in March 2006. A copy of the 2005/06 summary bulletin and data was published on the 29th January 2007.

The surveys focus on a range of different health issues including cardiovascular disease, mental health and ill-health, physical activity, smoking and drinking.

The survey was designed to yield a representative sample of all adults aged 16 and over living in Northern Ireland. The sample for the survey was a systematic random sample of addresses drawn from the Land and Property Services Agency’s (LPSA) list of domestic addresses. The LPSA addresses were sorted by district council and ward, so the sample was effectively stratified geographically. People living in institutions (though not in private households in such institutions) are excluded.

The datasets for the 1997 and 2001 Health and Social Wellbeing Surveys are archived in the UK Data Archive, where they can be accessed for secondary analysis. Data from the 2005/05 survey will be released to the archive later in 2007.