Measuring health in population surveys

Many countries conduct surveys that focus specifically on their population's health. Because health plays a key role in most aspects of life, health data are also often collected in population surveys on other topics. The subject matter of population health surveys broadly encompasses physical and mental heath, dental health, disabilities, substance abuse, health risk factors, nutrition, health promotion, health care utilization and quality, health coverage, and costs. Some surveys focus on specific health conditions, whereas others aim to obtain an overall health assessment. Health is often an important component in longitudinal studies, particularly in birth and aging cohorts. Information about health can be collected by respondents' reports (for themselves and sometimes for others), by medical examinations, and by collecting biological measures. There is a serious concern about the accuracy of health information collected by respondents' reports. Logistical issues, cost considerations, and respondent cooperation feature prominently when the information is collected by medical examinations. Ethical and privacy issues are often important, particularly when DNA and biomarkers are involved. International comparability of health measures is of growing importance. This paper reviews the methodology for a range of health surveys and will discuss the challenges in obtaining accurate data in this field.