This section examines the major surveys that measure smoking behaviour in the Australian population over time, focusing on the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), National Health Survey (NHS), and Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug (ASSAD) survey. It describes the characteristics of these surveys, and how they have been used in this Chapter to report the prevalence of tobacco use.
Several ongoing surveys examining adult smoking behaviour in Australia have been undertaken in recent decades. These repeated cross-sectional surveys provide a wealth of information on the prevalence of tobacco use in the Australian population. Of particular note, and used extensively in this Chapter, are:
- Smoking prevalence surveys undertaken by research groups under the auspices of Cancer Council Victoria (formerly the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria) at three-yearly intervals, from 1974 to 19981-9
- The National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), an approximately triennial survey conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare since 1985.10-21
- The National Health Survey (NHS), conducted approximately five-yearly (and more recently, three-yearly) by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with the first including routine questions on smoking behaviour undertaken in 1989–1990.22-30 A survey undertaken by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 1977 also provided data on smoking behaviour.31
- The Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug (ASSAD) survey, a national survey of secondary school students conducted by the Cancer Council Victoria approximately every three years since 1984.32-44 ASSAD is uniquely completed within the classroom, and as responses cannot be collected by proxy (i.e., when a parent completes the survey on behalf of their child) or with a parent present, this provides more accurate data on youth substance use.45
Table 1.2.1 describes the features of these major prevalence surveys, and Figure 1.2.1 shows their approximate frequency and sample size since 2001.
NDSHS: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare14-21
NHS: Australian Bureau of Statistics24-30
ASSAD: Hill, White, Guerin, Scully et al.37-44
1.2.1 Consistency in the measurement of tobacco use over time
Since 2001, the National Drug Strategy Household Survey has assessed smoking status using a consistent methodology considered similar to that of the earlier Cancer Council Victoria surveys.46 Additional analysis of both of these data sources has produced the most consistently collected and detailed trends data available for Australia from 1980 onwards. The two surveys used different questions to define a person’s smoking status. A calibration study of the two different approaches found that ‘regular’ smoking (defined as daily or weekly smoking) in the National Drug Strategy Household Survey produced approximately the same proportion of ‘smokers’ as determined by the Cancer Council Victoria Survey.46
Specifically, in the Cancer Council Victoria surveys, the question for assessing smoking status (which remained unchanged for the duration of the survey period) asked respondents to describe themselves as a smoker of cigarettes or cigars or pipes (with no frequency specified), an ex-smoker of any tobacco product, or a never smoker. In the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, smoking status has been ascertained since 2001 by asking respondents if they have ever tried a cigarette or smoked a full cigarette. Respondents who say ‘yes’ are then asked whether they have smoked more than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. Respondents indicating that they have smoked more than 100 cigarettes are asked: ‘How often do you now smoke cigarettes, pipes, or other tobacco products?’ and are asked to select one of the following responses: ‘daily’, ‘at least weekly’, ‘less often than weekly’, ‘not at all but I have smoked in the past 12 months’, or ‘not at all and I have not smoked in the past 12 months’. Respondents indicating that they smoke ‘daily’ or ‘at least weekly’ are classified as current smokers. Further items assess what the type and quantity of tobacco consumed.
1.2.2 Additional Australian surveys of smoking behaviour
Numerous other surveys and databases collect information on smoking behaviour among specific population groups, or assess tobacco use as part of surveys focusing on other economic or health behaviours.
- The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) focuses on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, including health status and factors which may impact health such as tobacco use and vaping. The NATSIHS is conducted approximately every 6 years, with the most recent wave in 2022-23. Prior waves were conducted in 2018-19, 2012-13 and 2004-05. The survey is run by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA Survey) follows a panel of households annually, collecting information on economic and personal wellbeing, labour dynamics, and family life, such as household economic wellbeing, labour market participation, health and health care, legal and illegal drug use, psychological distress, loneliness, quantity and quality of sleep, NDIS recipient status, and ADF service. Data is collected on personal tobacco use, and household expenditure on tobacco products. Approximately 17,000 individuals are surveyed each year across Australia, excluding remote and sparsely populated areas.
- The Roy Morgan Single Source Survey is a large-scale omnibus market research tool, interviewing about 50,000 Australians aged 14+ years each year using random probability sampling. Data is collected each week on a range of topics such as lifestyle, attitudes, media consumption, shopping intentions and habits, demographics, and tobacco and vaping behaviours. Data can be purchased by researchers, and has been used to assess the impact of tobacco control policies47,48 and examine rates of smoking and vaping in the population.49
- The National Tobacco Survey collected information annually on tobacco use and behaviours among Australian teenagers and adults on behalf of the Department of Health and Ageing. This survey was conducted every two years from 1997 to 2005. It was primarily designed as a tool to evaluate the National Tobacco Campaign,50 and also used to monitor the impact of other tobacco policy initiatives.46
More information about these and other surveys and databases is available from a 2013 compendium published by the Australian National Preventive Health Agency (Department of Health | National Tobacco-Related Datasets), including:
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