SA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
NAME OF COLLECTION
South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System (SAMSS)
The South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System (SAMSS) was established in 2002 by the Population Research and Outcome Studies (PROS) Unit of The University of Adelaide (since January 2011) and previously of the SA Department of Health, to provide high quality, valid, epidemiologically sound, reliable, representative, timely and relevant population data on people of all ages in the South Australian population.
SAMSS aims to monitor state and national risk factors and population trends in priority chronic disease and related areas to guide investments, identify target groups, provide important program and policy information, and assess outcomes. Additional objectives include detecting epidemics or changes in the topic occurrence, estimating the burden of the problem or topic, highlighting gaps in information and services that affect South Australians' general health and well-being and disseminating findings to related parties.
SAMSS is a complementary survey to the Social Environmental Risk Context Information System. Approximately 600 interviews are conducted each month.
SAMSS provides trend and time series data allowing changes over time to be detected.
All households listed in the South Australian Electronic White Pages are in scope and capable of being randomly selected. SAMSS collects information on infants and children in the selected household using an appropriate surrogate selection process and personally interviews people aged 16 years and over.
Country of birth
Do you (does "child’s name") speak a language, other than English, at home? (Yes or No)
Data items on health conditions include arthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, injury, depression. mental health and disability.
Data items for physiological risk factors include cholesterol, high blood pressure and body mass index.
Data items under the topic of 'behaviours' include alcohol consumption, breast-feeding, immunisation, nutrition, physical activity, smoking, sun protection and child development.
Data items are also available on health service utilisation, medication usage, social capital, quality of life and other economic indicators and socio-demographics.
Details on the SAMSS methodology and how to obtain the SAMSS questionnaire are available via the 'Data Sources - SAMSS’ section of the Population Research and Outcome Studies Unit website.
SAMSS is a survey of the South Australian population.
AVAILABILITY OF DATA AND PUBLICATIONS
During analysis, the survey data are weighted to the sex, age and geographical area profile of the population of interest and the probability of selection within a household so that the survey findings are applicable to that population as a whole. The most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics Estimated Residential Population data are used for the weighting process.
Dissemination of the information collected by SAMSS commenced in 2003. Primary information is available as electronic reports on the Population Research and Outcome Studies website. Hard copies of reports can be made available for organisations who do not have access to email or the Internet.
Routine analysis of the SAMSS data occurs monthly. The main focus of the analysis is time trend analysis. Additionally, cross-tabulations and significance tests of key indicators with other health or socio-demographic variables are performed.
Data/information that does not identify individual respondents may be requested.
Population Research and Outcome Studies Unit
Ph: 08 8313 1211
This page last updated 31 January 2012