Abstract
BackgroundPopulation health information, collected using soundly-designed methodologies, is essential to inform policy, research, and intervention programs. This study aimed to derive policy-oriented recommendations for the content of a health and wellbeing population survey of children 0–12 years living in Victoria, Australia.ResultsQualitative interviews were conducted with 54 academic and policy stakeholders, selected to encompass a wide breadth of expertise in areas of public health and inter-sectoral organisations relevant to child health outcomes, including universities, government and non-government agencies across Victoria. These stakeholders were asked to provide advice on strategic priorities for child health information (data) using a structured interview technique. Their comments were summarised and the major themes were extracted. The priority areas of health and wellbeing recommended for regular collection include obesity and its determinants, pregnancy and breastfeeding, oral health, injury, social and emotional health and wellbeing, family environment, community, health service utilisation, illness, and socioeconomic position. Population policy questions for each area were identified.ConclusionIn contrast to previous population survey programs nationally and internationally, this study sought to extract contemporary policy-oriented domains for inclusion in a strategic program of child health data collection, using a stakeholder consultation process to identify key domains and policy information needs. The outcomes are a rich and relevant set of recommendations which will now be taken forward into a regular statewide child health survey program.
Highlights
Population health information, collected using soundly-designed methodologies, is essential to inform policy, research, and intervention programs
Epidemiological child health data are an essential driver for policy, advocacy, service design, health promotion and prevention programs. Such data can make population health strengths, deficits and inequalities explicit, provide evidence of the influence that the social and political contexts have on health [1] and provide evidence for improvement or worsening in health parameters over time
This paper will demonstrate a process of selecting areas of child health that meet these criteria, using preliminary work towards the development of a new survey on Victorian children as an example
Summary
Population health information, collected using soundly-designed methodologies, is essential to inform policy, research, and intervention programs. Epidemiological child health data are an essential driver for policy, advocacy, service design, health promotion and prevention programs. Such data can make population health strengths, deficits and inequalities explicit, provide evidence of the influence that the social and political contexts have on health [1] and provide evidence for improvement or worsening in health parameters over time. Data from population surveys may influence both the direction and content of policies and programs for government and non-government organisations, in areas such as education, health, transport, justice and the environment. In designing a population health survey for children, there is a potentially exhaustive list of areas of health that could be examined. This paper will demonstrate a process of selecting areas of child health that meet these criteria, using preliminary work towards the development of a new survey on Victorian children as an example
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