(November 2013)
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), in consultation with the Department of Health, conducted the Australian Health Survey 2011-13 (AHS).
Around 13,000 people participated in the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS) component of the AHS. FSANZ is working with the ABS to prepare nutrient databases for the foods and supplements reported to be consumed in the NNPAS.
These databases are used to estimate the nutrient intakes of the survey respondents. A similar exercise will be undertaken for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey.
Background
The AHS is the largest and most comprehensive health survey conducted in Australia, building on previous national health and nutrition surveys, such as the National Health Survey, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey and the 1995 National Nutrition Survey.
The AHS involved about 50,000 adults and children and included both a household survey component conducted by professional interviewers and a biomedical component.
The information collected will help address key health information gaps in nutrition and physical activity. It will provide objective data for a number of markers of nutritional status and chronic disease such as high or low levels of blood sugar, cholesterol and kidney function.
For further information and findings on the AHS, visit the ABS website or the Department of Health website.