Healthy Ireland Survey, 2021

Study number (SN): 0021-06

CITATION

Department of Health (2023). Healthy Ireland Survey, 2021 [dataset]. Version 1. Irish Social Science Data Archive. SN: 0021-06. https://www.ucd.ie/issda/data/healthyireland/healthyireland2021/

ABOUT THE STUDY

The annual Healthy Ireland Survey provides an up-to-date picture of the nation’s health along with a robust and credible baseline set of data on a range of health behaviours which have significant impact on individual health outcomes. These data are being used by the Department of Health to inform current and future policy direction and programme development and implementation.

The Survey reports on many lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, active travel, weight management, diet and nutrition, health service utilization patterns, dental health, chronic disease incidence, mental health, sleep patterns,dementia awareness, caring responsibilities, women’s health and sexual health.

Since 2014, the Healthy Ireland Survey has been administered on an annual basis by Ipsos- MRBI on behalf of the Department of Health.

The first 5 Waves, 2015-2019, were conducted via computer aided personal interview (CAPI), however, the 2021 Survey was conducted by computer aided telephone interview (CATI), in order to avoid any risks of Covid-19 infection.

MAIN TOPICS

Health
Health promotion
Health status
Men’s health
Public health
Public health risks
Women’s health

COVERAGE, UNIVERSE, METHODOLOGY

Population

Approximately 7,500 people aged 15 and over, contactable at randomly sampled mobile phone numbers and living in locations across Ireland, were surveyed annually by computer aided telephone interview (CATI), taking no more than 45 minutes. Location was ascertained via addresses and Eircodes (where known by the respondent).

In other words, a representative sample of the adult population of Ireland is surveyed each year. Some modules are repeated every year (e.g. smoking, demographics, chronic conditions), however, the majority of modules are being repeated on a 2-4 year cycle, allowing the Survey to ask a wider variety of questions. The Questionnaire for each year therefore varies substantially (but not completely) from the year before; researchers should be aware of that.

Observation units

Individual
Families / Households

Temporal coverage

From 10/ 2020 to 04/2021

Time dimension

Repeated cross-sectional study, annual

Geographical coverage

Country: Ireland

Administrative unit: mobile phone access

Methods of data collection

CATI (Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing)

Sampling procedures

Necessary public health restrictions introduced to prevent the spread of Covid-19 meant that conducting the Survey by personal interview was no longer feasible or safe. Following adaptation of the Healthy Ireland Survey questionnaire and interview methodology to safer telephone interviewing, fieldwork on the seventh wave began in October 2020.

Respondents were selected using a random digit dialling approach and were interviewed (as previously) by specially trained Healthy Ireland Survey interviewers. While the change in methodology ensured that robust survey data could be produced during the pandemic, it also meant that the data was collected in a different way to previous waves.

This introduces the potential of what is known as mode effect (data not being fully comparable due to a change between two data collection approaches – in this case from in-person to over the telephone). For example, in previous survey waves the respondent may have been shown a list of potential responses on a showcard, however this is not possible over the telephone and potentially may impact on the answer given by the respondent.

While it is important to note this caution, it is the considered opinion of the researchers that any impact is minimal, unless clearly stated within the report.

Detailed methods are published in the technical details (last chapter) of the Summary Report, see below

Response rate

An overall response rate of 51% (percentage of known eligible telephone numbers that are contacted that fully complete a survey interview) was achieved. The survey participation rate (the percentage of individuals agreeing to take part in the survey who fully complete a survey) is 59%.

In 2021, an online suicide awareness module was added. As a result of the perceived sensitivity of the module, it was not asked over the phone; respondents were asked at the end of their interview if they would be willing to complete this. Those who indicated a willingness to complete it (approximately 4,600) were asked for an email address and a link to the online module was provided. The module was completed by approximately 2,200 respondents (49% of those who agreed to complete it and 31% of the overall sample of 7,454).

Further detail is supplied in the technical details (last chapter of the published Healthy Ireland Survey 2021 report).

DATA AND DOCUMENTATION: FILES’ DESCRIPTION

Data (available through ISSDA application process)

File name	File format/s	Contents of file
0021-06_healthy_ireland_2021	CSV, SAS, SPSS	Healthy Ireland 2021 survey data

Documentation (available for download)

File name	File format/s	Contents of file
0021-06_healthy_ireland_2021_data_dictionary.pdf	PDF	Healthy Ireland 2021 Data Dictionary
0021-06_healthy_ireland_2021_questionnaire.pdf	PDF	Healthy Ireland 2021 Questionnaire
0021-06_health_ireland_2021_summary_report.pdf	PDF	Healthy Ireland 2021 Summary Report

LINKS

https://www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/706608-healthy-ireland-policies/#the-healthy-ireland-survey

ACCESS INFORMATION

Accessing the data

To access the data, please complete a ISSDA Data Request Form for Research Purposes, sign it, and send it to ISSDA by email.

Data will be disseminated on receipt of a fully completed, signed form. Incomplete or unsigned forms will be returned to the data requester for completion.

Copyright

Copyright belongs to the Department of Health, Government of Ireland. Ipsos MRBI are contracted to undertake the Healthy Ireland Survey on behalf of the Department and are responsible for primary management, processing and storage of the data.

Acknowledgements

Any work based in whole or part on resources provided by the ISSDA, should acknowledge: “Healthy Ireland Survey, 2021" and also ISSDA, in the following way: “Accessed via the Irish Social Science Data Archive - www.ucd.ie/issda”.

Citation requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical citation