South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (SANHANES-1) 2011-12: Adult - All provinces

Description:
The data set for dissemination contains 728 variables and 17 926 cases of respondents aged 15 years and older who participated in the SANHANES-1 Adult Questionnaire.

The questionnaire covers the following sections: geographic information, biographic details of the respondent, non-communicable diseases, tuberculosis, nutrition, perceptions of respondent's general and mental health, as well as health care utilisation.
Abstract:
The South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (SANHANES) was established as a continuous population health survey to address the changing health needs in the country and provide a broader and more comprehensive platform to study the health status of the nation on a regular basis.

The SANHANES-1, was conducted in 2011-12 among 27 580 eligible individuals, of which 25 532 individuals completed the interview, 12 025 underwent physical examinations and 8 078 provided blood specimens for biomarker testing.

This survey provides critical information to map the emerging epidemic of NCDs in South Africa among other defined priorities of the National Department of Health and analyses their social, economic, behavioural and environmental determinants. Data on the magnitude of and trends in NCDs, as well as other existing/emerging health priorities, is essential to develop national prevention and control programmes, assessing the impact of interventions, and evaluating the health status of the country.

The primary objectives of the SANHANES-1 were to assess defined aspects of the health and nutritional status of South Africans with respect to the prevalence of NCDs (specifically cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension) and their risk factors (diet, physical activity and tobacco use):

The knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of South Africans with respect to NCDs and tuberculosis;

The nutritional status of South Africans as it relates to food security, dietary intake/ behaviour including alcohol consumption, body image and weight management;

The perceptions of general and mental health (stress and trauma) and the utilisation of healthcare services;

The behavioural (smoking, diet, physical inactivity) and social determinants of health and nutrition (demographic, socio-economic status and locality) and relate these to the health and nutritional status of the population.