Who is this survey being undertaken for?
The Victorian Population Health Survey is being conducted for the Department of Health in Victoria.

What is the survey about?
The Victorian Population Health Survey is an ongoing source of information on the health of Victorians aged 18 years and over. Valuable information is collected about the health, lifestyles and well-being of Victorians.

How will the information be used?
The information collected in this study will be used by the Department and other government health planners to improve the delivery and quality of health services across Victorian communities.

Why you should participate in the survey?
It is vital that our sample represents all sectors of the Victorian population to gather an accurate picture of the attitudes, behaviours and health needs of your community. Feedback on these issues helps the department put measures in place to plan for health system improvements. Your assistance will help the Department plan better health services in your community.

How did we get your telephone number?
In order to ensure that the sample represents all sectors of the Victorian population, telephone numbers have been generated at random and therefore include both listed and unlisted numbers. The process used to randomly generate numbers was to select all eligible 6 digit prefixes in Victoria and then randomly append the remaining digits to generate a phone number.

How long will the survey take to complete?
The survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. We will be conducting the survey until early July so arrangements can be made for you to participate at any time that is convenient for you.

Is the survey compulsory?
The survey is entirely voluntary, but your participation is important if the Department is to get accurate feedback on health status of Victorians.
 
Why do we need to speak to the person with the most recent birthday?
In order to ensure a representative sample as possible, we need to randomly select a person aged 18 years or over in each household.

How do we ensure your privacy is protected?
Any information you provide will be completely confidential and your own answers will not be identified as individual responses. Responses are used for research purposes only and are treated in strict confidence. No other agency or department will have access to your details. We are bound by the Provisions of the Commonwealth Privacy Act, as amended in December 2001.

What you can do if you would like further information about the survey?

Victorian residents can call the Department of Health hotline on 1800 658 830.  The hours of operation are 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday to Friday to speak to somebody. At other times, leave a message and someone will call back.

For general information on the Victorian Population Health Survey or to view previous reports please visit the website at:

http://www.health.vic.gov.au/healthstatus/vphs.htm